For a new soundtrack of bygone West End musical The Hunting Of The Snark

Matt Lucas is to take over a role Kenny Everett first made famous on the stage.

The Little Britain star will play the part of the Billiard Marker in a new recording of the soundtrack from the 1991 West End show The Hunting Of The Snark.

Based on the Lewis Carroll poem, the show was written by Mike Batt, Band also starred Philip Quast as the Bellman and John Partridge as the Butcher. 

Stage actor Quast and  Partridge, best known for playing  Christian Clarke  in EastEnders, will be reprising their roles for the new recording.

Batt said: ‘This is such a great development. With Kenny Everett, my late buddy, so sadly missed I can think of no one I would prefer to play this part than Matt. 

‘I’m also delighted that Snark originals Philip Quast and John Partridge, having gone from strength to strength in their careers, were still willing to take a step into the past and help me re-create the old magic.

‘It’s a great start to the casting process of what is a very ambitious project.’

Lucas added: ‘I grew up listening to Mike’s music and I’m really excited to be working with him. I remember watching the concert version on TV and being enchanted by it, and I can’t wait to start learning the songs.’

Funding for this recording º– which involves a with full orchestra, rock band and a cast of ten principal characters–  is being raised through crowdfunding site Pledge Music. Casting for the remaining characters is currently in progress.

Batt - probably still best known for being the man behind The Wombles musical success – added: ‘I have always wanted to make a recording of the full score, in addition to the shorter concept album that exists already, because the full dramatic piece contains so much more material that has never been recorded or released, and as an entirety I consider it to be the centrepiece of my life’s work to date.’

The 1984 concept album starred John Gielgud, John Hurt, Roger Daltrey, Deniece Williams, Captain Sensible, Cliff Richard and Art Garfunkel. Its release was prevented at the time by disagreements with the record company. It appeared years later on Batt’s own Dramatico label. 

A concert version at the Royal Albert Hall was televised by BBC2 in 1987 with John Hurt, Billy Connolly, Justin Hayward, Deniece Williams, Captain Sensible, Roger Daltrey and Midge Ure.

Published: 24 Jan 2019