“One day Rodney we’ll be musical theatre stars!” Yes, Del Boy and Rodney are the unlikeliest musical sensations and they are heading to Manchester next week. Only Fool and Horses The Musical has proved a major West End hit, and has spent four years in London. Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan Created by Jim Sullivan, son of John Sullivan who wrote the popular TV series and Paul Whitehouse of Fast Show fame, Only Fools and Horses The Musical is touring the UK for the first time bringing all the favourite TV characters to the stage.
It features songs co-written with Chas Hodges - of Chas and Dave fame and takes those unforgettable television adventures of Del and Rodney and blends them into one perfect night out. Here Jim and Paul discuss bringing the iconic characters to the stage. Rumours of a musical based on Only Fools were circulating for years before it opened in the West End.
Did you start from scratch when you started your collaboration or is any of the musical based upon earlier developments? Jim: My dad had been toying with the possibility of bringing the it to the stage but sadly never got to fully commit to it. When we began developing the idea back in 2015, the first thing I did was to search my dad’s notes. I discovered snippets of thoughts and ideas he’d scribbled down, and I knew from talking with him that he wanted to focus on the Dates episode (his personal favourite), where Del and Raquel first met.
I also found a two-page opening scene, which our op.
