Wasted, Southwark Playhouse

A rock musical about the Brontë siblings. Still with us? Good, because Wasted is coming to the Southwark Playhouse this autumn, telling the outrageous, unbelievable and ultimately tragic story of the four Brontës: Charlotte, Emily, Anne and lesser-known brother Branwell.

The Brontës (their Irish father changed the name from the more common Brunty) led lives the wildest rock stars would be proud of: filled with passion, falling in love with the wrong people, and, in Branwell’s case, no shortage of drugs. Wasted will chart their incredible journey from living on the poverty line in a remote Yorkshire town to literary stardom.

Natasha J Barnes, who saved many a performance of 2015's Funny Girl as Sheridan Smith's understudy, is sure to bring just as much energy, wit and verve to her role as Charlotte Brontë. And with Carl Miller (Emil and the Detectives, National Theatre) and Christopher Ash (Showstopper! An Improvised Musical) as writer and composer, Wasted looks like it’s going to be a blast. Let’s just hope Adam Lenson’s production stays away from the theory that it was the male Brontë who actually wrote the novels. Don’t be silly, women can’t write literature.