Paul Whitehouse talks about writing Only Fools and Horses the Musical

The antics of Peckham wide boy Del Boy Trotter and his hapless brother Rodney are comedy gold, beloved by generations of fans.

So turning Only Fools and Horses into a musical was a big risk - but for Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan, it paid off.

Paul, star of The Fast Show and comedy collaborations with Harry Enfield, and Jim, son of John Sullivan, creator of Only Fools and Horses, have taken the adventures of Del, Rodney and co and blended them into a musical that has delighted fans and critics since opening in the West End in 2019.

Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan have written the musical (Image: Image submitted)

* How did the idea of a musical come about?

Jim: “My dad had been toying with bringing it to the stage but sadly never got to fully commit to it. When we began developing the idea back in 2015, the first thing I did was search Dad’s notes. I discovered snippets of ideas he’d scribbled down, and I knew from talking with him that he wanted to focus on the Dates episode (his personal favourite), where Del and Raquel first met. I also found a two-page opening scene, which our opening scene is based on.

"About six months later I was helping my mum clear out the garage and came across an old audio cassette tape with the words ‘This Time Next Year’ written on it. We played the tape and there was Chas and Dave (as Del and Rodney) singing “We’re gonna be alright, the good times are on their way!” Mum recalled that in the late 1990s Dad had gone to Chas Hodges’ studio to work on a song, and this was the result. So we had the beginning of an opening scene and what I felt would make a great, uplifting final song.

"This was around about the time that Paul came on board and it took off from there.”

Paul: “I was asked to write and adapt it. I’d worked with CJ (Caroline Jay Ranger, director) and the production team on the Legends tour with Harry Enfield, she enjoyed working with me and thought I had the wherewithal to do it. I didn’t, as I’d never written a musical before, so it was a gradual process.

“I met Jim and was very conscious of how precious the legacy was to him and his family, and for me too as someone who loved the series. But the fact that Chas and John had already written a song for it struck me as a positive element. It was amazing to see the musical so well received during its four years in the West End. Now I’m made up that audiences all over the UK will get chance to see it.”

* It’s such a cherished TV comedy - was it daunting to take characters so beloved by generations of viewers?

Jim: “In this case it was an especially tricky challenge. When Dad wrote the first series back in 1981 he wasn’t sure it would get a second series. When he wrote the second it looked as though there wouldn’t be a third. When he wrote the final episode in 2003 there were, all told, 64 episodes.

"The story of the Trotters of Peckham spanned over two decades and included births, deaths and marriages. Our job was to boil that down into a single two-hour story...with songs!

“Obviously we couldn’t include everything, while we’ve tried to remain faithful to the original scripts we’ve also used a bit of creative license with the timeline. Ultimately, we’re not trying to reinvent the series but pay homage to it. What we’ve ended up with is, hopefully, something that captures and celebrates the heart and spirit of what the series was all about.”

Is the decision to set the story at a particular point in the characters’ lives key to the plot, with the Trotters’ world firmly established?

Jim: “I followed my dad’s cue here. The series and characters developed over the decades and it was important to include all the key characters at key moments. We were focusing on the Dates episode, by which time a lot was changing in the Trotters’ lives. This timing also helped to inspire other ideas.”

Paul: “I thought we shouldn’t just revisit Only Fools and Horses. It might sound a bit pretentious, but I thought one of the unsung stars of the show was London itself. I came up with the idea for a song called Where Have All The Cockneys Gone?, a phrase I’d heard around and it struck me as something Grandad could empathise with and give voice to.

"The late 80s was a time when London was developing and the gentrification of the yuppies was beginning, and I wanted to make a point about how much has changed.

“I also had the idea that Trigger could look into the future in his Granny’s crystal ball and sees the London we live in now. Seeing artisan bakers and vintage clothiers will hit home with people how much has changed. With musical theatre you can do creative things like that. And you can make a point in song. It’s using nostalgia as social commentary, having a little look at London.”

* Jim, as a comedy writer for screen, did you find it restrictive not having exterior VT scenes to expand the story?

Jim: “Yes and no. This whole experience has been a big learning curve. To begin with you’re thinking like a TV camera, which can pick up small, subtle things, something theatre doesn’t afford you. The upside is it forces you to re-think and be more imaginative.”

Tom Major as Rodney in the show (Image: Trevor Leighton)

* Paul, in the 90s, you filmed at Television Centre at the same time as Only Fools. Did your paths cross with John, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst and the gang?

Paul: “I never met John, but I met David and Nick at a couple of BBC dos and they were lovely. The Fast Show was at its height and they were doing my characters back to me!”

* Was there a fear you wouldn’t find someone to carry off the role of Del?

Jim: “Both Del and Rodney are demanding roles, notwithstanding the fact that they’ve already been played so well before. We had many auditions, it wasn’t easy, but Sam and Tom are fantastic. All the cast are amazing.”

Sam Lupton as Del Boy (Image: Trevor Leighton)

* Was it tricky to weave the songs into the scripted sequences?

Jim: “To begin with, but it’s been very organic. We focused on the beats of the story first, the songs came out of that.”

Paul: “Because of his (the late Chas Hodges) work he was one of those blokes you felt you’d known for ages. He was a fan of my stuff, we had fishing in common and we were from the same area, so we had a connection.”

Philip Child plays Grandad in the musical (Image: Trevor Leighton)

* Finally, can we expect to see the ancient mariner himself, Uncle Albert, make an appearance in the musical?

Paul: “Well, you never know...Uncle Albert might pop up when things get tricky!”

* Only Fools and Horses the Musical is at the Alhambra from October 7-12. Call (01274) 432000 or visit bradford-theatres.co.uk