After a successful run in Australia, ‘The Merchants of Bollywood’, a theatrical dance show charting the enchanting history of the Mumbai film industry is all set to tour the UK, Europe and the US.
The show originally produced in Mumbai will be brought to Britain for three months from October 24 by Harvey Goldsmith, the man behind some of the world’s leading live events including Live Aid and Live8.
Announcing the new musical project at a news conference in London, Goldsmith said: “The Merchants of Bollywood, a live dance extravaganza, is a lavish production that captures the essence of India in a world of techni-colour brilliance.”
The show features a cast of 40 dancers, singers and actors direct from Film City Mumbai, performing to Bollywood hits including classics such as ‘Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna’ from Dilwale Dulaniya Le Jayenge to the very latest hits from box office smashes such as Dhoom and Dus .
Written and directed by Toby Gough, music scored by Salim and Sulaiman Merchant and choreographed by leading choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant, the Bollywood musical follows the story of Ayesha Merchant, her grandfather Shantilal, and the inevitable clash of generations and ambition.
Starting from October 24, the music and dance show will be held at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham till November 4 and will then move on to Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Bradford, Cambridge, Cardiff before culminating in London for a Christmas run.
After the UK tour, the show will move on to Germany, Holland, Canada and USA, Toby Gough said.