# Taboo (musical)

Taboo is a stage musical with a book by Mark Davies Markham (extensively rewritten for the Broadway production by Charles Busch), lyrics by Boy George, and music by George, John Themis, Richie Stevens, and Kevan Frost.
Set in an abandoned London warehouse, the show tells the story of a group of people (party based on real people and partly fictional) during the New Romantic era, culminating with the opening of the now-legendary Taboo (1985–87) of the title, which was the creation of Leigh Bowery, at the end of Act I. Boy George is featured as one of the club's regulars, as he was known to have been in the 1980s, and the show also focuses on George's life prior to and after achieving fame.

## Productions
### London, The Venue 2002

The show premiered in London's West End at the newly opened Venue Theatre on January 29, 2002, written by Boy George & Mark Davies Markham. The cast included Luke Evans, Euan Morton, Matt Lucas and was directed by Christopher Renshaw with choreography by Les Child and costume design by Mike Nicholls.

### Broadway, 2003

Comedian/talk-show host Rosie O'Donnell was so enamoured with the show that she decided to finance a Broadway production. After 16 previews, a new revised version of Taboo opened on November 13, 2003, at the Plymouth Theatre, with a new book by Charles Busch. Hampered by mostly scathing reviews, the production closed after 100 performances. The cast, directed by Christopher Renshaw, included Boy George (credited under his real name, George O'Dowd), Euan Morton reprising his role as Boy George, Raúl Esparza and Jeffrey Carlson.
O'Donnell reportedly lost her entire $10 million investment in the project. O'Donnell said in a 2007 interview about Leigh Bowery that she wants to take Taboo back to Broadway in the future.

### London, Brixton Club House 2012

A revival of the original London Taboo ran from September to March 2013 at the Brixton Club House in London. The show was directed by original director Renshaw and included original cast member Paul Baker as Philip Sallon, with The Voice contestant Sam Buttery as Leigh Bowery, newcomer Matthew Rowland as Boy George/George O'Dowd and Alistair Brammer as Billy.

## Plot
### 2002 London production
#### Act 1

The show begins with Philip Sallon introducing the audience to the New Romantics in London's Soho district ("Ode To Attention Seekers").
The focus moves to the James family home, where Billy lives with his mum, Josie, and dad, Derek, who is unemployed thanks to the new laws and changes brought by the Thatcher era. Billy's dad disapproves of him wanting to be a photographer and, after another fight, Billy snaps and decides to leave Bromley and move to London ("Safe In the City").
Here, Billy runs into Sallon, who tells him he knows of a place where he can stay, squatting with a few other people. ("Gimme A Freak")
Billy meets Kim, a punk girl who wants to be a fashion designer. She refuses for Billy to stay with them, but George, her housemate, decides he can stay. Billy is fascinated by George, the two start talking and George shares that his father never approved of him, only his mother understood him and showed unconditional love ("Stranger In This World"). George kisses Billy, taking him by surprise, Billy runs off.
At the local night club the audience meets Steve Strange who is acting as bouncer. Kim, Billy, Philip, and George arrive at the club for a big night out. Billy is fascinated by the club's patrons and begins to take pictures. Steve Strange premieres his new hit record ("Fade To Grey"), but the audience of the club don't appreciate hearing it again, so they pull the plug halfway through his performance. The audience is then introduced to another popular face on the New Romantic scene, Marilyn, dressed up like Marilyn Monroe ("Genocide Peroxide").
Leigh Bowery, a fashion designer and performance artist who travelled from Australia to be a part of the New Romantic scene, is in the men's bathroom of the club. Billy enters and is amazed by Leigh's outlandish look ("I'll Have You All"). Leigh is instantly attracted to the photographer and gives him his number. ("I'll Have You - Reprise")
With time Kim and Billy become closer and start falling for each other ("Love Is a Question Mark"). Just when they are about to take the next step in their relationship, George comes home and makes a scene by flirting with Billy. George and Kim start to argue, which makes Billy runs off again, being sick of the fighting. Out on the street late at night, Petal is selling drugs ("Shelter"). Billy bumps into the dealer and expresses his disgust at Petal and is almost attacked by him, but escapes.
Billy's mom is on the phone with Kim. After the call, Kim starts to question whether Billy will still like her even if she removes all her makeup and opens up to him ("Pretty Lies"). Billy arrives and shares with Kim how beautiful she looks without her makeup. Kim apologizes and the conversation leads to Kim and Billy moving to the bedroom. ("Love Is A Question Mark - Reprise")
George, annoyed that Billy wants to be with Kim instead of him, joins Marilyn and heads down to Selfridges to do some shopping. George tells Marilyn that he's met a drummer who wants him to sing in his band. The two discuss their fantasies of being famous ("Guttersnipe").
Josie is at home missing Billy and wondering where her life went so wrong, she doesn't love her abusive husband anymore and her life is just going in no direction ("Talk Amongst Yourselves"). She calls Billy and Phillip answers the phone instead. He invites Josie down to London and Josie wholeheartedly decides to go.
George is recording a demo with his new group Culture Club and the session is stopped when the producer realises that George was singing about another man("The Eyes of Medusa"). George records a different song to keep the producer happy ("Do You Really Want To Hurt Me"). Culture Club start to rise to fame and their single hits number 1.
George runs into Janey, a journalist who now works for the Sun magazine, she is interested in George after his success and begs him for an interview. As Jane leaves, Billy bumps into her and tells her he's got some pictures of George and asks if the paper would buy them. Jane isn't interested but, she hands Billy her card if he ever has any juicy stories about George.
Billy asks George if he could put a word in for him at his record company to be a photographer, but George leaves. Leigh is entering his latest creation in to a talent contest called the Miss Mud Day Queen Ball and wants Billy to model for him. ("Guttersnipe - Reprise") When Billy gets to Leigh's house, Leigh begins to give Billy a makeover to turn him in to a star of the New Romantic scene ("Touched By The Hand Of Cool"). Leigh tells Billy he will make him the talk of the town and proceeds to call everyone telling them that Billy is now one of his models and will be in the show. Rumours also start that Billy is sleeping with Leigh, which get back to Kim leaving her heartbroken ("Church Of The Poisoned Mind").
It's the day of the Miss Mud Day Queen Ball and Leigh's collection wins the contest, with Billy, now nicknamed Spartacus. Leigh announces he is opening a club called Taboo. Kim and Josie arrive and are shocked at what they see. Kim is outraged at the thought of Billy sleeping with Leigh and his mother is disappointed in him and the two leave Billy alone ("Stranger In This World Reprise").

#### Act 2

Taboo is now open and everyone who is anyone is there ("Everything Taboo"). Kim and Josie, who has decided to leave Billy's dad and stay with Kim in London, go to the club. Whilst there they decide to team up and create a fashion line of their own and rent a flat from Philip. Billy is now hanging out with George and Kim seeing them together, presumes that they are sleeping together. Billy tries to apologise to Kim about the Leigh Bowery incident but Kim doesn't want to hear it, so Billy tells Leigh he doesn't want to work as his model anymore in an attempt to get back with Kim. Josie tells Billy she is ashamed of him and what he's done to Kim.
George now deeply affected by fame has begun to take drugs with Petal and Marilyn at the club. Billy asks George if he can work at Virgin Records and be the official Boy George photographer again and George agrees.
Josie and Kim are at home and their business is starting to take off, the two have also become good friends with Philip. Josie's husband, Derek, arrives and asks Josie to come back home, but she refuses. He takes an instant dislike to Philip and Kim and verbally abuses them causing Josie to kick him out ("Independent Woman").
Back in George's apartment, he and Marilyn are having a drug binge and George's habit has gotten completely out of control. Billy enters annoyed at George after going to Virgin Records expecting a job but realizing George had not set it up. He tells George to stop using drugs or he will be risking his life ("I See Through You").
Walking home from the shop, Philip sees Josie's husband at the bus stop. Philip tells him that Josie did the right thing ending it with him. Derek beats Philip up in the street, leaving him bruised and bloodied ("Petrified").
Leigh's live-in helper, Sue, opens a giant curtain to reveal that Leigh has installed himself behind a sheet of glass as a work of art at an art gallery. He explains to the audience that he is art (Ich Bin Kunst). After his performance Sue tells Leigh that he needs to go to the hospital for a check up, but Leigh won't go, hinting he's scared about his HIV positive status. ("Ich Bin Kunst - Reprise")
Billy has been to New York to photograph Marilyn's first concert to launch his debut single. When he arrives in London, he goes to see his mom, Kim, and Philip. Kim still refuses to talk to him, but Billy tells her that he can't stop thinking about her and apologizes for sleeping with George. Kim starts to come around but unfortunately all efforts are wasted as George turns up at the house and has a go at Billy for leaving him and going to New York with Marilyn. George collapses in a heap on the floor.
Billy meets up with Jane and gives her pictures of George using drugs and the full story about his addiction. He takes no money, he does it thinking that it will push George to get help. The story breaks and the media is outraged at George. ("Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - Reprise")
George is arrested for possession of drugs and the seriousness of his addiction hits him. George, Steve Strange, Marilyn and Billy all ponder how they have his rock bottom ("Out Of Fashion"). At the hospital Leigh lays dying of AIDS, his trusted friend Sue is the only with him when he dies ("Il Adore").
Billy tries to stop Petal from selling drugs to a young boy and ends up in fight with him. The dealer pulls a knife on Billy but just in the nick of time George turns up to rescue him. The two talk about everything what has happened and the mistakes they have made. Billy apologizes for informing the media about George's addiction, but George tells him that Billy, revealing the story, saved his life ("Pie In The Sky").
Billy tells George he's going to India to take some time to study with the Hare Krishners and that George should join him. So George, Billy, Philip, Kim, and Josie all go travel to India. After a few weeks the group decides to go home, after finding the answers they were looking for, but Billy decides he's going to stay a little longer ("Bow Down Mister"). The entire company sing ("Karma Chameleon") as they leave the stage.

### 2003 Broadway production

The Broadway production of the show switched its focus to George, from his roots to his rise to fame with Culture Club, and Leigh Bowery, from his start until his timely death because of AIDS, removing some of the key characters of the UK production in favor of new ones. Philip Sallon and Big Sue become narrators of the story and Billy becomes Marcus, a sexually confused photographer who falls for George. The new figure of Nicola is introduced, based on real-life friend and later wife of Bowery, Nicola Bateman.
In an interview George says that the Broadway version of the show "brings out more of an "emotional aspect of the characters", going deeper in exploring the main characters of George and Leigh.

## Characters
### Original London production (2002), UK tour and Brixton Club House production (2012)

* Billy – an aspiring photographer. Frustrated with suburban life in Bromley, he runs to London to make his fortune. There he is introduced to the New Romantics.
* Kim – an aspiring fashion designer and George's squat-mate. Kim is fiery but insecure, rarely emerging from behind her makeup. She ran away from home at 15, and her mother was too drunk to come looking for her.
* George (O'Dowd) – Artist, poet, singer/songwriter George is shown before and during his initial success. Thrives on attention and shocking others, never appears dressed conventionally.
* Leigh Bowery – flamboyant Australian designer and performance artist. He delights in antagonising Kim, and is constantly surrounded by a gaggle of admirers/slaves. Absorbs Billy into his flock. Played by Boy George on some productions.
* Philip Sallon – Narrator figure of the show. Based on a real person.
* Josie James – Billy's mother, who later becomes Kim's best friend and business partner. Supposedly a part written specially for the performer Lyn Paul to play.
* Marilyn – one of the Blitz Kids, Marilyn is first George's rival, then his best friend.
* Big Sue – Leigh's main assistant and confidante. Character based on Sue Tilley.
* Steve Strange – doorman at the 'Blitz' club, and singer with the group Visage who achieved success with 'Fade to Grey'. Good-natured rival of George.
* Derek – Billy's father. Violent, drunk and homophobic.
* Petal – cross-dressing drug pusher. Played by at actor portraying Billy's father. In previews Petal killed Billy near the end of the show.
* Janey – a reporter for the Sun newspaper, who has a connection to George.

### Original Broadway production (2003)

* George (O'Dowd) – Artist, poet, singer/songwriter George is shown before and during his initial success. Thrives on attention and shocking others, never appears dressed conventionally.
* Leigh Bowery – flamboyant Australian designer and performance artist. He is constantly surrounded by a gaggle of admirers/slaves.
* Philip Sallon and Big Sue - narrators of the story.
* Nicola - character who falls for and eventually marries Leigh Bowery. Based on a real person.
* Marcus - a sexually confused photographer, who has an attraction for George (rewrite on the character of Billy from the UK productions).

## Casts

| Character | London, The Venue | Broadway | London, Brixton Club House |
| Character | 2002 | 2003 | 2012 |
| Billy James | Luke Evans | - | Alistair Brammer |
| Marcus | - | Cary Shields | - |
| George O'Dowd | Euan Morton | Euan Morton | Matthew Rowland |
| Kim | Dianne Pilkington | - | Niamh Perry |
| Leigh Bowery | Matt Lucas | George O'Dowd | Sam Buttery |
| Nicola | - | Sarah Uriarte Berry | - |
| Philip Sallon | Paul Baker | Raúl Esparza | Paul Baker |
| Big Sue | Gail Mackinnon | Liz McCartney | Katie Kerr |
| Josie James | Gemma Craven | Denise Summerford | Sarah Ingram |
| Derek/Petal | Mark White | - | Michael Matus |
| Marilyn | Marc McGee | Jeffrey Carlson | Adam Bailey |
| Steve Strange | Drew Jaymson | - | Owain Williams |

## Awards and nominations
### Original London production

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2003 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Musical | Best New Musical | Nominated |
| 2003 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Actor in a Musical | Euan Morton | Nominated |
| 2003 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Paul Baker | Won |
| 2003 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Costume Design | Mike Nicholls | Nominated |

### Original Broadway production

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2004 | Tony Award | Best Original Score | Boy George | Nominated |
| 2004 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Euan Morton | Nominated |
| 2004 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical | Raúl Esparza | Nominated |
| 2004 | Tony Award | Best Costume Design | Mike Nicholls and Bobby Pearce | Nominated |
| 2004 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Euan Morton | Nominated |
| 2004 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Raúl Esparza | Won |
| 2004 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Jeffrey Carlson | Nominated |
| 2004 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Lyrics | Boy George | Nominated |
| 2004 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Music | Boy George | Nominated |
| 2004 | Theatre World Award | Theatre World Award | Euan Morton | Won |

### 2012 London revival

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2013 | WhatsOnStage Awards | Best Off-West End Production | Best Off-West End Production | Won |

## Cast recordings

Two cast albums have been released: the original West End cast in 2002, and the original Broadway cast in 2004.
Original London Cast Recording :
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
| 1 | Ode To Attention Seekers | | 2:33 |
| 2 | Safe In The City | Luke Evans | 3:29 |
| 3 | Freak | | 2:25 |
| 4 | Stranger In This World | Euan Morton | 3:44 |
| 5 | Genocide Peroxide | Mark McGee | 2:15 |
| 6 | I'll Have You All | Boy George, Paul Baker, Luke Evans | 2:11 |
| 7 | Love Is A Question Mark | Luke Evans, Dianne Pilkington | 2:52 |
| 8 | Shelter | Mark White | 2:33 |
| 9 | Pretty Lies | Dianne Pilkington | 3:55 |
| 10 | Guttersnipe | Euan Morton, Mark McGee | 2:26 |
| 11 | Talk Amongst Yourselves | Lyn Paul | 4:29 |
| 12 | Do You Really Want To Hurt Me | Euan Morton, Drew Jaymson, Gail Mackinnon, Lucy Newton, Kevan Frost | 5:12 |
| 13 | Touched By The Hand Of Cool | | 3:32 |
| 14 | Everything Taboo | | 3:48 |
| 15 | Petrified | Paul Baker | 3:37 |
| 16 | I See Through You | Luke Evans | 3:34 |
| 17 | Independent Woman | Gemma Craven, Paul Baker, Dianne Pilkington | 2:49 |
| 18 | Ich Bin Kunst | Matt Lucas | 2:33 |
| 19 | Out Of Fashion | Drew Jaymson | 6:14 |
| 20 | Il Adore | Gail Mackinnon | 4:25 |
| 21 | Pie In The Sky | Euan Morton | 3:54 |
Original Broadway Cast Recording :
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
| 1 | Freak/Ode To Attention Seekers | Raul Esparza as Phillip Sallon | 3:52 |
| 2 | Stranger In This World | Euan Morton as Boy George | 3:34 |
| 3 | Safe In The City | Company, Nicola Bowery | 3:50 |
| 4 | Dress to Kill | company | 0:57 |
| 5 | Genocide Peroxide | Marilyn | 2:26 |
| 6 | I'll Have You All | Boy George as Leigh Bowery | 2:42 |
| 7 | Love Is A Question Mark | Dianne Pilkington, Luke Evans | 3:18 |
| 8 | Shelter | Mark White | 1:57 |
| 9 | Pretty Lies | Dianne Pilkington | 2:46 |
| 10 | Guttersnipe | Mark Mcgee, Euan Morton | 3:10 |
| 11 | Talk Amongst Yourselves | Lyn Paul | 2:33 |
| 12 | Do You Really Want To Hurt Me | Euan Morton | 2:10 |
| 13 | Touched By The Hand Of Cool | Luke Evans, Company, Matt Lucas | 0:45 |
| 14 | Everything Taboo | Company, Boy George | 3:10 |
| 15 | Petrified | Paul Baker | 3:37 |
| 16 | I See Through You | Luke Evans | 2:15 |
| 17 | Independent Woman | Paul Baker, Dianne Pilkington, Gemma Craven | 3:27 |
| 18 | Ich Bin Kunst | Matt Lucas | 3:50 |
| 19 | Out Of Fashion | Drew Jaymson | 4:08 |
| 20 | Il Adore | Gail Mackinnon | 4:36 |
| 21 | Pie In The Sky | Euan Morton | 3:29 |