Half a Sixpence (2016 musical)

Half a Sixpence
Poster for the West End production
Music	George Stiles David Heneker
Lyrics	Anthony Drewe David Heneker
Book	Julian Fellowes
Basis	Kipps by H.G. Wells and the original musical by David Heneker and Beverly Cross
Productions	2016 Chichester 2016 West End

Half a Sixpence (2016 Cast Recording)
Soundtrack album cast recording by Various
Released	18 November 2016 (2016-11-18)
Length	70:44
Label	First Night Records

Half a Sixpence is a musical based on the novel Kipps by H.G. Wells and the original 1963 musical, co-created by Cameron Mackintosh with music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, featuring several of the original songs by David Heneker, and book by Julian Fellowes.

This new version is produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Chichester Festival Theatre where it premiered in July 2016 before transferring into the West End in London at the Noël Coward Theatre in October 2016.

The original musical of Half a Sixpence, based on the novel Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul by H. G. Wells featured music and lyrics by David Heneker and book by Beverley Cross. The musical was originally written as a star vehicle for British pop star Tommy Steele who performed the role of Kipps originally in London in 1963, Broadway in 1965 and in the 1967 film adaptation. It was evident that the show relied on Steele as the star vehicle as he featured in twelve of the musical's fifteen songs.

Following the success with Mary Poppins, producer Cameron Mackintosh reunited the same team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe to adapt Heneker's original songs and create new material for the production, with Julian Fellowes re-writing an entirely new book. The creative team also reunites Stiles and Drewe with Fellowes after Mary Poppins and the new musical adaptation of The Wind in the Willows (which also reunites director Rachel Kavanaugh, who also directed Stiles and Drewe's Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 2007).