Downton Abbey is seemingly set to become a musical after series 6 (the last) ends, full of tap dancing in the pantry and jazz hands in the drawing room! As a stiff British television drama, a Downton Abbey stage show would be met with delight by its fans. The blueprint for a global theatrical tour starring the cast – and which is predicted to rake in millions at the box office – has since been unveiled by the series’ composer John Lunn.
Lunn and creator Julian Fellowes have been working on a ‘live event’ which is hoped to feature the Oscar-winning writer as host and include compositions from the period drama. The iconic soundtrack and set are instantly recognisable; including the cast in the future blueprint is ambitious yet a hopeful move. The project would take place after the much-loved ITV drama finishes following its sixth series this autumn, and the final episode will be 2015 Christmas Special.
Talks currently involve plans of a live tour, with lots of music from the show. It is likely the actions will retire against a screen and the soundtrack may even be live in places. The show has already spawned a series of successful business opportunities including a crockery line, clothes, linens and books. There is also talk that a spin-off movie may be in the works with Lord Grantham actor Huge Bonneville already having said he would want to be involved if the opportunity arose.
The programme is shown in more than 100 countries worldwide, and is an especially big hit in America. It is the highest-rating British period drama of the past decade, with an average of 11 million viewers over the course of its five series and Christmas specials.