Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind is a musical written by Margaret Martin. It is adapted from Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel of the same name and its 1939 film adaptation by Trevor Nunn. The production began previews on 5 April 2008 and officially opened at the New London Theatre in London's West End on 22 April 2008. The production was directed by Nunn and featured sets by John Napier and costumes by Andreane Neofitu. Darius Danesh and Jill Paice starred as Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara respectively. The show was produced by Aldo Scrofani, Colin Ingram, Gary McAvay and the Nederlander Producing Company. The production closed on 14 June 2008, after 79 performances. Background This was not the first musical version of Gone with the Wind. A musical adaptation by Harold Rome played a year at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1972, starring June Ritchie as Scarlett, and featuring Bonnie Langford. Margaret Martin, a newcomer to songwriting and playwriting, contacted the Stephen Mitchell Trust, sending tapes of songs and a draft script, and the Trust eventually agreed to give her the rights to make an adaptation of Gone with the Wind. At about the same time, Martin learned that Nunn was extremely interested in American history, and she sent him the materials as well. They collaborated on revisions over the next couple of years, which resulted in a workshop production in London in 2004. With the support of the Mitchell Trust and producer Aldo Scrofani of Columbia Artists Theatricals, plans began forming for the West End production. Plans for the production were officially confirmed in 2007. Producer Scrofani said in interviews that their hope was that "this theatrical adaptation will cause our audiences to rediscover this timeless and rich story, while also providing each of them a meaningful and memorable experience". Nunn said that "having now worked on adapting two vast novels for the stage, Nicholas Nickleby and Les Misérables, I am drawn to the challenge of telling Margaret Mitchell's epic story through words, music and the imaginative resources of the theatre."