Danny Beard is pictured as Lily Savage for the first time in Savage, Jonathan Harvey's new comedy drawn from the life of Paul O'Grady, which premieres at Curve Leicester in February before a UK tour and a West End run.
The first pictures are out. Danny Beard appears as Lily Savage in Savage, the new comedy by Jonathan Harvey inspired by the life of Paul O'Grady. It opens at Curve Leicester on 13 February 2027, tours the UK through the spring and then heads to the West End.
Photographer Oliver Rosser shot Beard in full Lily: towering platinum wig, leopard-print suit, pearls and a cigarette held high against a brick wall. Beard won the fourth series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, the first bearded queen to take the crown anywhere in the franchise.
Harvey worked from O'Grady's life and his autobiographies, and the play was made with O'Grady's blessing. It starts with a working-class lad from Birkenhead, quick with a put-down and hard to knock down, and follows him from Merseyside into the London club scene. There, with a wig and his wits, he built Lily Savage, the brassy alter ego who became a British icon.
A short first-look film was released with the photographs. It is below, or watch it on YouTube.
O'Grady endorsed the choice of writer while the play was in early development, before his death. "I'm delighted Jonathan (Harvey) has agreed to write the script, I really am as he's perfect for this and he's such a great writer," he said.
Harvey remembers where it began for him: "I first saw Lily in a scuzzy gay bar in West London in the late 80s and laughed 'til I hurt, so it's an honour indeed to bring his story and the colourful escapades of the blonde bombsite herself to life."
Curve's artistic director Nikolai Foster directs. His credits include Kinky Boots in the West End and on tour, the UK and Ireland tour of Legally Blonde and The Sound of Music at Curve. "Paul was a generational talent, and we are honoured to have the opportunity to work on this hilarious, heartfelt and electrifying new play by the mighty Jonathan Harvey, which celebrates Paul's life, legacy and Lily," said Foster and Curve chief executive Chris Stafford.
ROYO, Curve, Hope Mill Theatre and Eilene Davidson co-produce. Further casting and the rest of the creative team are still to be announced.
The 2027 dates announced so far:
- 13 February - 6 March: Curve, Leicester
- 16-20 March: Liverpool Playhouse, Liverpool
- 23-27 March: Lowry, Salford
- 30 March - 3 April: Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
- 6-10 April: Theatre Royal Bath, Bath
- 13-17 April: Norwich Theatre Royal, Norwich
- 20-24 April: Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham
The West End theatre and dates for Savage have yet to be confirmed.
