Viva Forever could not live up to its title. After just six weeks, the London stage musical based on the music of the Spice Girls has closed.
The show was announced last summer with a press conference that included all the original members of the group. It was written by Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Famous) and told the story of four friends who compete on a singing competition and tests their friendship. Judy Craymer, the producer behind Mamma Mia!, produced the show.
After its official opening in December, it was slammed by critics, notes Reuters. Many called the script “insultingly banal” and took aim at the poor acting and set design. Ticket sales then cooled off, even with lower prices. The final show is set for June 29.
“Although Viva Forever won't continue in the West End, we are thrilled that the thousands of people who came to the show had as much fun as we did,” a statement from the producers read.
Craymer admitted, “The show has evolved since we first opened and is now brighter, lighter and funnier, but despite the wonderful audiences and extremely positive feedback we just can't make it work.”
The Spice Girls sold over 80 million records while they were together and fans got to see them reunite for the London Olympics Closing Ceremony last summer. Their hits include “Wannabe” and “Spice Up Your Life.” Unfortunately, it looks like they couldn’t “spice up” the West End.