Newley!

Newley! has a great premise at its core - a protagonist who is both unique and larger than life. Actor, singer, pop star, writer, songwriter and director, Anthony Newley was one of the greatest all-round entertainers of our time, the star of many musicals, films and cabaret shows. 

From his early appearance as the Artful Dodger, in David Lean’s 'OLIVER TWIST', starring Alec Guinness and Robert Newton, Newley remained a favourite with audiences for over 50 years. His early movies and musical talents took him from incredibly poor beginnings in the bomb-ravaged East End of London, to the West End and Broadway in the ground-breaking shows 'STOP THE WORLD - I WANT TO GET OFF' and 'THE ROAR OF THE GREASEPAINT - THE SMELL OF THE CROWD'; to the top of the charts as a singer with hits like ‘What Kind Of Fool Am I?’ and into popular musical history as a co-writer of such timeless songs as ‘Goldfinger’, ‘The Candy Man’, and ‘Feeling Good’. His marriage to Joan Collins grabbed the headlines amid the glamour of the swinging sixties. They were the Brad and Angelina of their day. From early days in the East End to glorious nights topping the bill in Vegas, Tony Newley was a man who gained the world, but lost millions. Behind the mask of success lay a fractured life: a man plagued with depression and self-doubt. The dark clown who needed the approval and love of his audience to fight off his despair and loneliness. Barbra Streisand (an ex-lover), recently instigated a Newley renaissance, when she sang a duet with the long-dead performer, singing, ‘Who Can I Turn To?’ with him on her recent ‘Encore’ album. She even devotes an entire chapter to Newley in her award-winning autobiography. Newley! explores Tony’s lifelong search for his father, his illegitimacy, the fortunes won and squandered, the wives and the lovers, all interwoven with his greatest musical hits, set in a backdrop of 1970's mob-ruled Las Vegas, and reveals the Newley that few, if any, ever really knew. The fact that Newley! is based on a real-life legend, only adds to its appeal, as all of its music and his built-in fan base will definitely contribute to the potential success of the series.