Based on Daphne du Maurier’s bestselling mystery novel, VBW created a classic Hollywood film noir for the musical stage, romantic, riveting and full of sinister suspense.
A shy and naïve young girl falling in love with the worldly, elegant millionaire Maxim de Winter. A man with a troubled mind and a dark secret, obsessed by a shadow from the past – his late wife, Rebecca. A sinister yet charismatic female villain – the vicious Mrs. Danvers – , slyly pulling all the psychological strings the classic thriller genre has to offer. And a magnificent mansion by the seaside – the legendary de Winter family estate Manderley – as a backdrop, endangered by looming catastrophic events: REBECCA has all the ingredients of a classic Hollywood film noir, with one crucial difference: instead of the silver screen, this production by VBW has been created for the live stage.
Based on Daphne du Maurier’s eponymous bestselling novel, adapted by thriller mastermind Alfred Hitchcock in 1940 as the equally fabulous movie version – his first and only movie ever awarded an Oscar – REBECCA by VBW adheres closely to its legendary source, approved and warmly welcomed by no other than the du Maurier family themselves: hugely impressed by a performance of Michael Kunze’s and Sylvester Levay’s ELISABETH, Daphne du Maurier’s son, Christian Browning, gladly granted the rights for a musical version to VBW.
Faithful to its psychologically riveting template, REBECCA traces the fascinating transition of the story’s unnamed narrator from a shy, mousy and insecure newlywed to a strong and self-assured woman, overshadowed by the mysterious Rebecca, a menacing character only present in memories and imagination. A superb example of the new genre created by Michael Kunze – the drama musical – this new interpretation of a true classic combines a moving love story with the dark elements of a quintessential Hollywood thriller. The secret that hangs heavy over Manderley, the ancestral home of the de Winter family, and a tightly woven web of intrigues and plot twists keep the audience enthralled from curtain up to the final dénouement.
