Musical dramatisation based on people and events in the New Romantic scene in London in the early eighties, including the founding of the titular Taboo night club. Billy James, a disaffected young man, leaves his family in Bromley, consisting of his belligerent father and his long-suffering mother, and by chance, starts living in a Soho squat with Kim, an aspiring fashion designer, and one George O'Dowd, soon to become Boy George of Culture Club.
Productions staged to date include:
- The original 2002 West End production at The Venue Theatre.
- The 2003 UK tour
- The 2003 Broadway production at the Plymouth Theatre. Closed after 100 performances.
- The 2012 off-West End revival at the Brixton Club House.
- The January 2022 charity concert at the London Palladium.
Not to be confused with the BBC period drama of the same name.
Provides examples of:
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: At one point in the first act, Philip goes out into the audience to roast them mercilessly, while passing around a plate of smoked salmon fancies.
- Canon Foreigner: Unlike the major supporting characters such as George, Leigh and Philip, neither Billy and his family nor Kim is based on any specific Real Life person from the New Romantic scene.
- Oop North: Petal is described at one point as "a bit of Yorkshire lard."
- Friendship Song: "Guttersnipe" is a duet between George and Marilyn about their fantasies of shared fame and success.
- Irrelevant Act Opener: Averted. Although "Taboo" is a big, bombastic ensemble number as many of these types of songs often are, the number includes several conversations between characters that update the audience on various plot points.
- Jukebox Musical: Boy George took on the project on the proviso that it wouldn’t just be a jukebox musical of Culture Club songs. The shows consists mostly of original songs composed by George, Kevan Frost, John Themis and Richie Stevens. However, “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” does feature in the show’s second act. “Bow Down Mister” and/or “Karma Chameleon” feature in the finale of certain versions of the show. A few other pre-existing songs of the period are referenced within the original songs.
- Makeover Montage: "Touched by the Hand of Cool" is staged around Leigh and his acolytes giving Billy a makeover.
- Mushroom Samba: During the charity concert performance of "Il Adore", the empty hospital beds shown on the backdrop screen start to twist and distort as the song carries on.
- Non-Appearing Title: "Guttersnipe" doesn't use its title in its lyrics.
- Tragic AIDS Story: Downplayed. The final scene in which Leigh appears focusses on his AIDS-related death, but it's not the sum total of his character's contribution to the story.
