The first musical based on the life of Britain's late Princess Diana will hold its premier in Germany this November when Lady Di - Das Musical rolls into the southwestern city of Saarbrucken.
Under the full title, "Lady Di - Diana: A smile that enchants the world", the musical features Diana as a lovestruck outsider manipulated by the English establishment. "There is such a huge interest in Diana and her life in Germany," said Peter Thomas, the musical's composer. "We'll see how things go but I'm confident this musical will be translated into English as well," he said of the work which cost two million marks to produce.
Diana is played by English actress Karen Gillingham.
Only five of the cast of 22 are German. Lawyers advised the show's producers against having actors play living members of the royal family so that Prince Charles only features as a voice and the audience only see Queen Elizabeth's back bowing to Diana's coffin in the grand finale.
Prince Charles' long-time lover Ms Camilla Parker Bowles, however, does feature in the show. The first act deals with Diana's marriage to Prince Charles and its eventual collapse. The second features her work with the poor and her search for a true love, featured in the musical as Dodi Al Fayed.
Diana had a relationship with Al Fayed, before the pair were killed car crash in Paris in August 1997