BLACK LEATHER ROSE is a sixties musical based in California circa 1963-67
It's a coming of age story about two rival girl bands each trying to develop their sound and compete in the changing scenes of the sixties. As much as anything its a musical journey from the surf sound remnants of the fifties through the soul influences, the British Invasion sounds, folk music, beatnik jazz and what becomes the garage and San Francisco psychedelic scene. Essentially it reflects the story of The Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Doors, The Monkeys and Jefferson Airplane. All this is set against a backdrop of social change around the Berkeley campus Free Speech Movement and what became known as the 60's Counter Culture and all that turned out to be the right side of history. It's a wild go-go dancing spectacular but it has its darker and dramatic moments. Due on at London's Leicester Square Theatre (date tba)