The Royal Shakespeare Company has confirmed plans for its upcoming Winter season including a musical stage adaptation of David Walliams’ THE BOY IN THE DRESS.

Mark Ravenhill adapts Walliams’ novel for the stage whilst Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers will provide music and lyrics for the show. The production will be directed by RSC artistic director Gregory Doran. THE BOY IN THE DRESS will premiere in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from 8th November with opening night scheduled for 27th November. The run will conclude in Stratford-upon-Avon on 8th March 2020.

THE BOY IN THE DRESS follows 12 year old Dennis, the star player in his football team who wants to wear a dress to school. The musical will be the second adaptation of the novel after a BBC TV adaptation in 2014.

Writers Williams and Chambers said: ‘We’re beyond excited to be working with the RSC on our first musical theatre collaboration. We are both big fans of David’s books, so when he approached us about writing the soundtrack to a new musical version of THE BOY IN THE DRESS for the RSC, we were genuinely delighted. There’s a real freshness, cheekiness and heart to David’s writing which we’ve worked really hard to capture in the music’.

Elsewhere in the new season, the RSC presents a new production of Shakespeare’s rarely performed play KING JOHN. Running in the Swan Theatre, the play which tells the story of Richard the Lionheart’s brother ascending to the throne. KING JOHN will feature direction by Eleanor Rhodes and design by Max Johns. The play runs from 19th September to 25th January 2020.

Also in the Swan Theatre, Hannah Khalil’s new play A MUSEUM IN BAGHDAD runs from 11th October to 25th January 2020. Set in 1926 and 2006, the play follows British archaeologist Gertrude Bell founding the museum, and Ghalia Hussein attempting to reopen the museum following looting during the war. A MUSEUM IN BAGHDAD is directed by RSC associate Erica Whyman with design by Tom Piper, lighting by Charles Balfour and music by Oguz Kaplangi.

Finally, dates have been confirmed for the premiere of Juliet Gilkes Romero’s new play THE WHIP. Running in the Swan Theatre from February 2020. Set in 19th century London, THE WHIP explores the politicians who fathered to abolish the slave trade. Directed by Kimberly Sykes, THE WHIP runs from 1st February 2020 to 21st March 2020.

Public booking for the RSC’s new season opens on 18th March.