The Movie Poster

A stage version of the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan—famous for featuring Madonna’s major movie debut—is heading to the West End’s Gielgud Theatre, where it is eyeing a November opening, according to Variety.

As previously reported, the show will set the film’s story against a musical backdrop of Blondie’s back catalogue of hits.

The story centers on Roberta Glass, a bored New Jersey housewife who seeks adventure through her obsession with the personal ads, and the mysterious Susan, a street-smart East Village drifter. When Roberta suffers a bad case of amnesia, she and Susan unexpectedly swap lives and are plunged into a world of jewel heists, magic shows and rock ‘n’ roll. The collision of Roberta and Susan's identities takes them on a wild journey of mystery, self-awareness, and true love—with both women discovering that you never know where your life is going, until something magical happens. The film, written by Leora Barish and directed by Susan Seidelman, featured Madonna in the title role.

The stage version was conceived and written by American writer, director and actor Peter Michael Marino. It will be directed by Angus Jackson, whose credits include Kwame Kwei-Armah’s two plays at the National, Elmina’s Kitchen (which transferred to the West End’s Garrick Theatre and toured the U.K.) and Fix Up, and who has directed the musicals Promises, Promises at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre and Carousel at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2006. He also directed August Strindberg’s The Father at Chichester’s Minerva Theatre in the summer season.

[AD]Desperately Seeking Susan is being produced by Susan Gallin, Ron Kastner, Mark Rubinstein and Old Vic Productions.