Demonstrating the power of its brand, “McQueen,” a play about British fashion icon Alexander McQueen, was breaking box-office records at London’s St. James Theatre even before it opened last May. Despite enduring some critical brickbats, the drama, written by James Phillips and directed by John Caird, will transfer to the West End for a limited engagement from August 13 to November 7. “McQueen,” which has been described as a mash-up of theater and runway show, is a fantasia of sorts fashioned on the designer who took his own life in 2010 at age forty, after reaching the pinnacle of success. It is kicked off when Dahlia, a young woman in search of a dress, breaks into McQueen’s East London warehouse and comes face to face with the designer himself. The two then embark on a journey through the high-gloss of London’s beau monde, scenes of which are interspersed with a variety of eccentric characters, including the ghost of Isabella Blow, McQueen’s friend and muse, who committed suicide in 2007.Matt Trueman, writing in Variety, praised Stephen Wight’s performance in the title role as low-key, deft, and tender, even as he damned the work itself as “…a soulless bio-play…modish, unfeeling and out of touch with reality. This is theater for oligarchs’ wives. It looks impressive, but it’s unsubstantial.” More than a few his colleagues agreed with that assessment, and they collectively also found fault with Dianna Agron’s Dahlia. In fact, citing scheduling conflicts, the producers announced that the “Glee” television star would not be transferring with the production; her part will be assumed by Carly Bowden. Also joining the cast will be Michael Bertenshaw as John Hitchcock, the current managing director and head cutter of Savile Row’s Anderson & Sheppard, where a 16-year-old Lee McQueen served as an apprentice for two years. “He had a flair for tailoring, he was a quick learner,” said Hitchcock at the time of McQueen’s death. “He was extremely ambitious.”It’s unclear what revisions might be in order for “McQueen” prior to its West End bow next month. But bio-plays are notoriously difficult to pull off, especially with a personality as brilliant, mercurial, and manic-depressive as that of Lee Alexander McQueen, who was the son of Ronald, a taxi driver, and Joyce, a social science teacher. His mother’s death preceded his by nine days and may have precipitated his emotional decline.Not surprisingly, the sleek, high-polished look of the production found favor with the critics. Whether or not that sheen, along with Stephen Wight’s performance, can propel it to a successful run is an open question. A transfer to Broadway may well depend on the answer.
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