Smike was created by EastEnders composer Simon May in collaboration with Roger Holman and Clive Barnett in 1973. Simon and Roger were writing partners at the time and Simon and Clive were teachers at Kingston Grammar School.

The musical was written as a school project for Kingston Grammar School and premiered at the Surbiton Assembly Rooms in the summer of 1973.

'Smike' a pop musical freely based on  "Nicholas Nickleby", is the story of a group of restless school-children who go back in time to the world  of Charles Dickens  and see for themselves that there are advantages in living in the twenty first century.

It was then mounted as a major BBC TV production in the Christmas of 1973 starring Beryl Reid, Ian Sharrock and Leonard Whiting. It has since become a mini classic licenced by Josef Weinberger Ltd. to thousands of schools and amateur drama societies in the UK and overseas.

It seems that the musical has never dated and has enjoyed a wide range of different productions with casts of boys and girls who have all embraced the show to suit their own needs.

Please contact us if you are thinking of producing your own version of Smike and we will be happy to give you back- up and help with your new production of Smike the musical.

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