Synopsis

'Diana, the musical' tells the story of Charles and Diana; focussing on their courtship, their marriage and her relationship with her children and the rest of the Royal Family. The musical culminates with her divorce, but ends at the time of her funeral. As the musical progresses it portrays the evolution of the young Diana into the intelligent, mature woman who, becomes arguably the most famous, (certainly one of the most famous), women in the world.

The show begins with Princess Diana singing part of the song, 'There Was A Time' - a love song about her relationship with Charles. After this poignant moment, the action moves back in time to start when the seventeen year old Lady Diana Spencer meets Prince Charles at his thirtieth birthday party. Here we also meet the other key players - the senior Royals (The Queen, Prince Philip and The Queen Mother). Charles is upset because his parents are applying pressure in order to get him married off to a suitable young woman. Although Diana 'fancies' him, they don't go out together until they meet again at a barbecue after eighteen months.

From this point on the story is well known: the romance, the wedding, the unexpectedly cold welcome into the Royal Family, her inability to accept starchy tradition, his desperation for someone to be a future Queen, her desperation to be a loved and loving wife. Camilla is briefly seen but not heard at the start of the musical, and though her presence throughout is felt, it is not explicit - manifesting itself solely in the words, deeds and thoughts that Charles and Diana share.

The musical has a bias towards Diana - it tells her story - but it is not by any means overly critical of the Royal Family. Diana is shown throughout in a warm light, but Charles and the senior Royal Family are not portrayed as the 'villains of the peace'. They are seen more as people with various expectations and needs which are either too rigidly enforced, or not sufficiently explained to others. In the end one is left feeling sorry at the situation in which all the participants find themselves.

That being said, the musical is a celebration of her life and the songs reflect that diversity. There are over 30 songs, ranging in their content from inspirational through comedic to romantic, with humour, laughter, excitement, adoration, fun, jealousy, love and much more expressed in the songs. The ballad that will bring tears to the eyes of all Princess Diana lovers is "There Was A Time", which re-iterates the fact that whilst she loved Prince Charles there are doubts that he ever loved her.

Characters

Songs