15 Minute Musical. Copyright: BBC
15 Minute Musical

15 Minute Musical

  • Radio sketch show
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2004 - 2019
  • 57 episodes (8 series)

A Radio 4 show in which current affairs and celebrity stories told in musical form. Stars Richie Webb, Dave Lamb, Melanie Hudson, Vicki Pepperdine, Jess Robinson and Pippa Evans

15 Minute Musical. Image shows from L to R: Dave Lamb, Richie Webb, Jess Robinson. Copyright: BBC

Key details

Genre
Sketch Show
Broadcast
2004 - 2019
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Episodes
57 (8 series)
Stars
Richie Webb, Dave Lamb, Melanie Hudson, Vicki Pepperdine, Jess Robinson and Pippa Evans
Writers
Dave Cohen, David Quantick and Richie Webb
Producers
Katie Tyrrell, Joe Nunnery and Richard Morris
Company

Each episode of this radio series takes an easily identifiable public figure and contorts their story into a bitesize West End musical.

In true West End style, artistic licence is well and truly taken and stretched, as easily identifiable public figures are dressed up, gilded, fabricated and placed against a random musical backdrop for sugar coated consumption. The stories are simple and engaging but with an edge - allowing the audience to enjoy all the conventions of a musical (huge production numbers, tender ballads and emotional reprises) whilst we completely re-interpret events in major celebrities' lives.

Targets satirised by the show include Heather Mills-McCartney, Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Jeremy Clarkson and Camilla Parker Bowles.

Series 5 covered the US Election, Piers Morgan's search for his real father (Pappa Pia), Nick Clegg's search for a personality, Demon chef Ramsay Todd's search for the perfect pie ingredient, Ebenezer Brown's search for Christmas cheer, and Boris Johnson driving a bus from Beijing to Bow in the hope that he'll arrive in time for the London Olympics.

Those given a comedic West End musical makeover in Series 6 included Bruce Forsyth, Ed Miliband, Fabio Capello and the Coalition and Ant & Dec. The Queen also featured in a 15 Minute Musical that saw her look back at the public figures she met during 2010.

After a long break, 15 Minute Musical returned for Christmas 2012 with daily episodes. Targets included Rupert Murdoch and David Cameron.

The show returned again for Christmas 2013 for an 8th series, with Nigel Farage, Julian Assange and Simon Cowell amongst the lives set to music, whilst other specials since have included Donald Trump's 2016 US Election and Britain voting for Brexit.

Additional details

Also known as
  • The 15 Minute Musical
  • 15 Minute Musicals
Production
Studio
Soundtrack
The music is composed by Richie Webb and produced by Matt Katz.

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Wednesday 27th October 2004 at 11pm on BBC Radio 4
Most recent repeats

Recording details

  • The Drill Hall
  • BBC Radio Theatre