CURVE AND TILA ARTS ANNOUNCE THE WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL based on the life of 20th CENTURY ICONS MARILYN MONROE AND ARTHUR MILLER
MISFITS TOGETHER
MARILYN, MILLER AND THE MYTH OF AMERICA
Music and lyrics – Dan Smith and Ralph Pelleymounter
Book – Charlotte Bogard Macleod
Directed by Nikolai Foster
world premiere 4 Sep – 2 Oct 2027
Leicester’s Curve theatre has today announced MISFITS TOGETHER, a brand-new musical based on the relationship of 20th century icons Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller, created by Dan Smith (Music and Lyrics), Ralph Pelleymounter (Music and Lyrics) and Charlotte Bogard Macleod (Book), presented with Tila Arts.
Running in Curve’s Studio Theatre 4 September to 2 October 2027, the musical will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director, Nikolai Foster, whose recent credits include the world premiere production of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (UK and Ireland tour), new musical BANK OF DAVE THE MUSICAL (Curve and Lowry) and acclaimed revivals of KINKY BOOTS (London Coliseum, UK and European tours), LEGALLY BLONDE (UK and Ireland tour) and THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Curve).
The musical’s score has also been recorded as a studio album of the same name, penned by Smith and Pelleymounter, and available to pre-order now. The album’s first single, ‘Oh America’, is also out today.
Marilyn. Miller. And the myth of America.
1950’s America. In an industry built on status, politics and power, Hollywood sees Marilyn Monroe as a star they can control. Arthur Miller sees a true artist.
Love brings these two titans of stage and screen together, and they back each other as they struggle for artistic integrity, and fight for political justice.
MISFITS TOGETHER celebrates Marilyn as a trailblazer establishing new rules for the way Hollywood treats their stars, re-writing her own narrative and paving the way for a sexual revolution. MISFITS TOGETHER honours Arthur as he puts his career on the line, refuses to denounce his colleagues and proves himself the moral compass of a nation. But through all these huge events, ultimately they were two people trying to navigate love, work and life’s very human problems.
MISFITS TOGETHER explodes from the glamour of Golden Age of Hollywood with a sweeping new rock musical score.
This is Marilyn and Miller’s story told for today.
It’s a rally cry for truth, integrity and self-belief.
And it’s dedicated to misfits everywhere.
Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said:
“Collaborating with Dan, Ralph and Charlotte on the development of MISFITS TOGETHER has been a massively inspiring experience. Exploring a story which deals with iconic titans Monroe and Miller was always going to be exhilarating, but in the hands of our visionary writers, the collision of these enduring life stories, 1950s Hollywood, reclaiming Marilyn’s incredible story against the backdrop of an increasingly volatile world, has reached dizzying heights, signalling the birth of a truly great musical. We are thrilled to share this audacious new musical with our fantastic Curve audiences, who will be moved and exhilarated in equal measure by this sensational score.”
The production will be the first fully-staged musical from Dan Smith, the Grammy Award-nominated, Brit Award-winning singer, songwriter, composer and record producer, who has co-written the production’s music and lyrics. Dan Smith is best known as the lead singer and creative force of band Bastille, who have sold over 11 million records, had three number 1 albums on UK charts and whose songs, including ‘Pompeii’, ‘Happier’ and ‘Good Grief’ have been streamed over seven billion times.
Music and lyrics are co-written by Ralph Pelleymounter, singer, songwriter and frontman of band To Kill a King. Pelleymounter also co-wrote Rag ‘n’ Bone Man’s ballad ‘Perfume’ and won Best Original Score at the IndieX Film Festival for EUGENE VS HUMANITY. Frequent collaborators, Ralph Pelleymounter and Dan Smith co-wrote the title track of Bastille’s number 1 album ‘Give Me The Future’ and their western concept album ‘Annie Oakley Hanging’ has recently been signed into a development deal with Golden Globe-winning film producer Shannon McIntosh (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, THE HATEFUL EIGHT).
Dan Smith and Ralph Pelleymounter said:
“This is a 75-year-old story and yet it still feels so relevant: the polarising politics, the sexism, the threat of career-ending blacklists, all feel like they could be from today’s newspapers. We wanted the music to reflect this so we created a collection of songs that we hope feel modern and timeless. This is the first time we have written songs for a musical and we enjoyed the sense of freedom and play that comes with exploring a brand new creative medium. To be able to now say they’ll be heard by audiences in a world premiere Made at Curve production still feels unbelievable!
“During this entire process there was this weight of responsibility that comes with telling other people’s stories, especially when, as with Marilyn, the person died so young and so was robbed of the chance to tell their own. We hope we’ve brought an interesting and thoughtful perspective to this poignant, powerful story.”
MISFITS TOGETHER is written by BBC Drama Award-nominee and Jerwood Arvon Playwrighting Award-winner Charlotte Bogard Macleod. Founder of The Script Factory, one the Britain’s leading development organisations for filmmakers, Bogard Macleod previously served as an elected Board member of the British Council, Scottish Screen and The Film Committee of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Her work includes STILL AVOIDING TOMORROW, a unique immersive theatre experience with live music from BASTILLE and THE STORY OF EGLANTYNE JEBB: FOUNDER OF SAVE THE CHILDREN, performed at The Roundhouse Camden in 2019.
Charlotte Bogard Macleod said:
“Marilyn’s luminous beauty dazzled, blinding the world to her true intelligence. Arthur Miller was the one person smart enough to see past the dazzle and understand Marilyn’s brilliance as an artist. He supported her in struggles against Hollywood’s misogyny, and she supported his defiance of McCarthyism.
“We wrote Misfits Together to celebrate Marilyn and Arthur’s smart and sexy love story. It was a total joy collaborating with Dan and Ralph, we were invigorated by our research, intoxicated by the writing process. It was an extraordinary privilege to be in the room with Nikolai Foster, who helped us weave scenes and songs together. We hope you will enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed writing it. We’re really, really excited to share it with you.”
Produced by multi-instrumentalist Will Bloomfield, the album MISFITS TOGETHER was recorded over the summer of 2025 at Bloomfield’s Dairy Studios in Brixton, with additional sessions in Suffolk and at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios. The album features guest performances throughout from Bastille collaborator Moira Mack – whose striking Monroe-inspired vocals sit at the emotional core of the record, alongside long-time Bastille live guitarist, Charlie Barnes and the voice of the exciting new artist, Ruti.
MISFITS TOGETHER is a Made at Curve production, presented by Curve and Tila Arts.
MISFITS TOGETHER will run at Curve 4 September to 2 October 2027. Tickets will be on sale to Made at Curve Circle, Champions and Patrons from Tuesday 15 September 2026, to Curve Friends from Wednesday 16 September 2026, to Curve Loyalty Pass holders, Groups and Access Register customers from Thursday 17 September 2026 and on general sale from Tuesday 22 September 2026, all at 12pm midday. To find out more, visit www.curveonline.co.uk, call the Box Office on 0116 242 3595, or visit in-person.
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About Curve
Curve is an award-winning producing theatre with a commitment to ensuring as many people as possible can access great art and culture. Each year, around two million people engage with Curve through performances in Leicester, across the UK and internationally. Under the leadership of Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, Curve has developed an international reputation for producing, presenting and touring a bold and diverse slate of musicals, plays, new work and dance, which sit alongside vibrant community and learning programmes.
Recent Made at Curve productions and co-productions include: World premieres of Thomas Harris’s THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, adapted by Gina Gionfriddo (UK & Ireland tour) and Rob Madge and Pippy Cleary’s BANK OF DAVE THE MUSICAL; acclaimed revivals of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN and KINKY BOOTS (London Coliseum, European, UK and Ireland tour); INSIDE AMERICAN PIE; LEGALLY BLONDE (UK and Ireland tour); THE SOUND OF MUSIC; ALIENS LOVE PANTA CLAUS; WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF; LOST ATOMS (UK tour); A CHORUS LINE (Sadler’s Wells, UK and Japan tour); MURIEL’S WEDDING; SISTER ACT (Dominion Theatre, Eventim Apollo, UK, Ireland and Australian tours); MY FAIR LADY; PIRATES LOVE UNDERPANTS (UK tour); THE MOUNTAINTOP (UK tour); THE WIZARD OF OZ (London Palladium, UK and Ireland tour); MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (UK tour); THE LION INSIDE (UK tour); COME FROM AWAY (UK tour); GREASE (Dominion Theatre and UK tour); EVITA; THE OWL WHO CAME FOR CHRISTMAS (UK tour); AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN THE MUSICAL (UK tour); 42ND STREET (Sadler’s Wells, UK tour and Toronto); WHITE CHRISTMAS (Dominion Theatre and UK tour); RIDE; BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL; BEAUTIFUL – THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL (UK tour); THE COLOR PURPLE (UK tour); CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (UK tour); METAMORPHOSIS (UK tour); SUNSET BOULEVARD (UK and Ireland tour); THE JUNGLE BOOK (UK and International tour); THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER; GIRAFFES CAN’T DANCE; WEST SIDE STORY; ON YOUR FEET! (London Coliseum and UK tour) and THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE AGED 13¾ – THE MUSICAL (The Ambassadors Theatre). Streamed productions include THE COLOR PURPLE and SUNSET BOULEVARD.
Curve is supported using public funding by principal funder Arts Council England.
About Dan Smith
Dan Smith is a Grammy nominated and Brit Award winning singer, songwriter, composer, and record producer.
Smith is the creative force and lead singer of BASTILLE, who have sold over 11 million records, had three number 1 albums on the UK charts and have been streamed over 7 billion times.
Smith has collaborated with and written for many artists, including Myles Smith, Dermot Kennedy and Tears for Fears. As a composer, Dan worked with Hans Zimmer to compose original music for Planet Earth III.
Smith wrote “World Gone Mad” for the Netflix Feature film Bright and “Eurydice” for the original series KAOS. Currently, Smith is in production with Ralph Pelleymounter and Curve on an original musical, MISFITS TOGETHER. Smith has written the score and songs for Kathryn Ferguson’s IFTA-winning and BAFTA nominated short film Nostalgie. He composed for Leonardo DiCaprio executive-produced documentary short, “From Devil’s Breath”, and Pippa Bennett-Warner’s BAFTA longlisted “22+1”.
Dan is currently developing “Annie Oakley Hanging”, a feature film with producer Shannon McIntosh, based on original story songs written with Ralph Pelleymounter inspired by Annie Oakley He is also currently developing a new musical, ‘Young Romantics’ as well as several other yet unannounced musical theatre projects.
About Ralph Pelleymounter
Ralph Pelleymounter, best known for his work on three critically acclaimed albums with his band To Kill A King, the co-writing of Rag ‘n’ Bone Man’s ballad ‘Perfume’ and his solo record ‘Dead Debutante’s Ball’. He is currently releasing To Kill A King’s fourth studio album.
Pelleymounter’s film score with EUGENE VS HUMANITY won him Best Original Score at the IndieX film festival
As a renowned writing duo, Dan and Ralph have co-written the title track to Bastille’s Number 1 album, ‘Give Me The Future’ and the original song ‘Family Ties’ which features in the trailer for the Disney film STRANGE WORLD.
The pair’s western concept album ANNIE OAKLEY HANGING has just been signed into a development deal with Golden Globe award-winning film producer Shannon McIntosh (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD and THE HATEFUL EIGHT).
About Charlotte Bogard Macleod
Charlotte Bogard Macleod is a BBC Drama nominated playwright drawn inexorably to the same stories – stories about women who are chafing against the narrow confines of society, grappling with love, and fighting to change the system. Her plays have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and performed on the British stage. Casts have included Andrew Scott, George MacKay, Joely Richardson and Helena Bonham-Carter. Charlotte has previously collaborated with Dan Smith on an immersive theatre piece “Still Avoiding Tomorrow”. Recipient of The Jerwood Arvon Playwright prize, she is currently under commission to write her first novel, and has two feature films in development. A passionate cinephile – she founded and co-runs The Script Factory – one of Britain’s leading film development organisations described by The Times as “the beating heart of the British film industry”, and hosts the SCREEN PLAYERS CLUB podcast with filmmakers guests including Sam Taylor-Johnson, Joachim Trier and Dame Pippa Harris.
About Nikolai Foster
Nikolai is Artistic Director at Curve, Leicester, one of the UK’s leading regional theatres, described as ‘world class’ The Daily Telegraph and ‘a venue with a truly impressive musical pedigree’ The Times.
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Nikolai grew up in North Yorkshire and trained at Drama Centre London and at the Crucible, Sheffield.
He has created work for many of the UK’s major producing theatres, touring houses and international venues. Nikolai has been director on attachment at the Sheffield Crucible, the Royal Court Theatre and National Theatre Studio and served as an Associate Director at Leeds Playhouse. In 2024, Nikolai was awarded an Honorary Doctor of the Arts by Leicester’s De Montfort University for his contribution to theatre in Leicester.
Recently at Curve, Nikolai directed the world premiere productions of Thomas Harris’s THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (UK & Ireland tour) adapted by Gina Gionfriddo, Rob Madge and Pippa Cleary’s BANK OF DAVE – THE MUSICAL and brand new productions of Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper’s KINKY BOOTS (London Coliseum, UK and Europe tours), Laurence O’Keefe, Nell Benjamin and Heather Hach’s LEGALLY BLONDE (and UK tour), THE SOUND OF MUSIC, Lerner & Loewe’s MY FAIR LADY, A CHORUS LINE (also at Sadler’s Wells, on tour in Japan and UK tour), Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s EVITA and THE WIZARD OF OZ (also at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, London Palladium and UK tour), the first new UK production of Lee Hall and Elton John’s BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL (winner Best Musical Production UK Theatre Awards and Best Regional Production WhatsOnStage Awards), described as a ‘masterpiece’ by The Times, and Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey’s GREASE at London’s Dominion Theatre and extensive UK tours. During lockdown, Nikolai directed Curve’s first digital streamed production, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Don Black and Christopher Hampton’s SUNSET BOULEVARD, hailed as a ‘game-changer’ by The Telegraph. Nikolai has also directed a major revival of Bernstein, Sondheim and Laurents’ WEST SIDE STORY, Hanif Kureishi’s MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (nominated for Best Regional Production at the WhatsOnStage Awards 2020), AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN – THE MUSICAL (and UK tours), Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS (also at the Dominion and on tour), the world-premiere of Dougal Irvine’s adaptation of Riaz Khan’s MEMOIRS OF AN ASIAN FOOTBALL CASUAL (winner Best Stage Production Asian Media Awards), SUNSET BOULEVARD (UK tour and winner Best Regional Production WhatsOnStage Awards), Joe Orton’s WHAT THE BUTLER SAW (with Theatre Royal Bath), Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (with Birmingham Rep), the Broadway musical SPRING AWAKENING (with NYMT), LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL (Opera Garnier, Monaco and Daegu Opera Festival, South Korea – Winner Best Musical – Daegu International Musical Festival Awards), Truman Capote’s BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (and Haymarket Theatre, London and UK tour), Roald Dahl’s THE WITCHES (with Rose Theatre Kingston, Lyric Theatre, Hong Kong, Leeds Playhouse and UK tour), Tennessee Williams’ A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, Shakespeare’s RICHARD III, Timberlake Wertenbaker’s OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD and a performance to celebrate the reveal of the tomb of King Richard III at Leicester Cathedral.
As Associate Director at Leeds Playhouse, he directed Orwell’s ANIMAL FARM, a new Sherlock Holmes story (THE BEST KEPT SECRET by Mark Catley), Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL (adapted by Bryony Lavery and Jason Carr), Louise Page’s SALONIKA and Amanda Whittington’s BOLLYWOOD JANE. At the Crucible Sheffield, Nikolai made his directorial debut with A CHORUS LINE (2003), later followed by productions of Sondheim’s ASSASSINS and Shaffer’s AMADEUS.
Nikolai has also directed acclaimed productions of Coward’s HAY FEVER (Chichester Festival Theatre), ANNIE (Piccadilly Theatre, London, Toronto, South Africa and extensive UK tours), Jonathan Harvey’s BEAUTIFUL THING (Arts Theatre, London), Shelagh Stephenson’s THE MEMORY OF WATER (Stephen Joseph Scarborough), Leoncavallo’s PAGLIACCI (English Touring Opera and Pegasus Opera), A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and Sondheim’s MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG (Theatr Clwyd), THE JUNGLE BOOK (Glasgow Citz), Barry Hine’s KES and Ayckbourn’s SEASONS GREETINGS (Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse), David Essex’s ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR (UK tour), Coward’s final play A SONG AT TWILIGHT, Shakespeare’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Steinbeck’s OF MICE AND MEN and Brecht’s THE GOOD PERSON OF SICHUAN (all Mercury Theatre, Colchester), THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (UK tour), Shakespeare’s AS YOU LIKE IT (Chester Storyhouse), THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (York Theatre Royal), MACBETH (Singapore Repertory Theatre), Dahl’s JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH (UK tour), Ayckbourn’s ABSENT FRIENDS and Terry Johnson’s DEAD FUNNY (Oldham Coliseum), Tanika Gupta’s adaptation of Dickens’ GREAT EXPECTATIONS (Palace Theatre Watford and ETT) and Boucicault’s LONDON ASSURANCE and CALAMITY JANE at the Watermill (2010 and UK tour 2025).