Musical Con needs a bookshop

It was the Elphabas nonchalantly queuing for coffee in Costa that did it for me. If there was an unofficial queen of musical theatre, it has to be the star of "Wicked" – she with the green make-up and witches hat who has to hit that note in ’Defying Gravity’.  

It may have slipped your attention, but musical theatre now has its own trade show.  Musical Con wrapped up its second iteration at ExCel in London’s Docklands on 22nd October, complete with a rapturously received reunion from the cast of "Newsies" (heading for the West End next year) and a performance by "Strictly"’s Layton Williams, who, of course, was also the lead in "Everyone’s Talking about Jamie".

Around the hall were stands from related companies – posters, memorabilia, T-shirts, merch – and on the show’s fringes, panels on everything from "LGBTQ+ on the West End" to "How to Write a Musical".

Why is this of interest? Well, let’s see now.  "Cabaret", "The Time Traveller’s Wife" (TTTW), "Wicked", "Matilda", "Mrs Doubtfire" – what links all these stage musicals? Of course, it’s obvious: they all began life as a novel, or took their inspiration from a novel.  

The whole process of adaptation, and what works or doesn’t work, and why, is a fascinating topic. We all have our lists of what might make a good musical: Bridget Jones, The Fault in Our Stars, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Café, Noel Streatfeild’s Ballet Shoes, Little Women. And, though it wasn’t a musical, the adaptation of Joe Simpson’s Touching the Void was brilliant. You think, how can they possibly do it? – and then you see it done and it works. Indeed, perhaps it would have worked as a musical too, albeit with just one song, Boney M’s "Brown Girl in the Ring" (one for those who’ve read the book).

The one I’d like to see is an unashamedly camp version of Michael Crichton’s most famous novel. "Jurassic Park: the Musical (he’s ever so angry)", would feature tap dancing T-Rexes, and a giant diplodocus whose long neck would sway above the stalls while he munched some leaves and made comments about the audience. “Honey, you look rap-torous. Is he with you? Hmm, there’s no way he’s getting eaten tonight.”  

Musical Con needs a pop-up bookshop. As the store of Theatreland, Foyles should consider a presence for next year

It was interesting to read in these pages Lauren Gunderson’s piece on adapting TTTW for the stage. I don’t know whether she was at Musical Con, but the show had a hoarding that showcased TTTW, complete with a giant QR panel ‘to send a note to your younger self’.

But if you wanted to buy a copy of Audrey Niffenegger’s novel, or Christopher Isherwood’s Goodbye to Berlin, which led to "Cabaret", or Paul Gallico’s Flowers for Mrs Harris, or the novel of Dear Evan Hansen, or any of the books by the four authors who wrote Evan Hansen, or any of the "Wicked" spin-off titles, or the real story behind the paperboy strike that led to "Newsies", there was nowhere. A shame. A missed opportunity.

Musical Con needs a pop-up bookshop. As the store of Theatreland, Foyles should consider a presence for next year.

In truth, Concord Theatricals was there, but only with a handful of titles – there was nothing which yelled “Love musical theatre? This is the place to get your spending tap shoes on!”

Musical Con was founded 2022 by performer ("Thriller", "The Bodyguard", "Get Up Stand Up") Shanay Holmes and professional development coach and actor ("Life & Lyrics") Chris Steward. They wrote in the show guide: “We dreamed of creating a place where everyone who loves theatre could feel at home. That home is Con, so feel free to be unashamedly yourself… Every community needs a place to celebrate, share stories and knowledge and make meaningful connections. So connect with the stars, the shows, but most importantly, each other – you will be found.” (the latter a quote from "Dear Evan Hanson").

As ever, the economics of running a bookshop at such an event may not stack up – renting the space, paying two members of staff, transporting all the stock – but who knows? Nothing ventured, nothing gained. All those hundreds of fans with money to spend. All those superfans dressed as paperboys from "Newsies". All those youngsters watching the extraordinary lip sync contest on the main stage. A book might just round off the day.

The show is also a lot of fun. Elphaba may even buy you a coffee.