Steve Pratt caught up with Debbie Isitt, writer and director of Military Wives – The Musical which has its world premiere at York Theatre Royal this September.
Writer and director Debbie Isitt admits that the new musical Military Wives is a slight departure from her past work but she’s not about to abandon her usual agenda.
“I’m about making new work whether it’s on stage or film. Military Wives is based on a real story and is slightly more serious than my usual body of work but that’s not to say it’s not feel good and fun and funny. I can’t not do that,” she says.
Debbie is best known as the creator of Nativity! a film that has spawned three sequels and a stage musical. The story, inspired by her daughter’s experiences of being in a school Christmas show, grabbed the public’s attention and, 14 years on, is stronger than ever.
“It will always be the thing I’m known for, I suppose,” she says. “Nativity! was a bit like giving birth. It becomes your pride and joy. I’m bringing it up and its siblings.”
Nativity! The Musical returns to London this Christmas but before that Debbie is writing and directing Military Wives – The Musical. This musical about women forming a military choir is inspired partly by TV documentaries about the real-life formation of such choirs and the 2019 film Military Wives.
Debbie recalls watching the documentaries about music man Gareth Malone’s role in forming the choirs. “I fell in love with the stories of these women, and it was really my first insight into what it would be like to be a military wife,” she says.
“I remember my mum being really taken with it as well and we were just talking about it all the time. The series was so emotional watching the women finding their voice. It lodged in my mind and my heart.”
Next came the film Military Wives in 2019, followed by talk of a stage show which is where Debbie entered the story as writer and director. There was already a wealth of material from the TV documentaries and the film. Debbie did her own research, visiting military wives to hear their stories.
Her aim was to make something new for the stage, using existing material and her research. “My big story emerged, and the characters formed during workshops,” she explains.
“This isn’t a straight musical version of the film although obviously influenced by some of the characters. It’s about a Military Wives Choir starting up. Obviously when the women come together to sing it’s about their personal journeys intertwined with the songs they sing.
Much of the singing is in the choir but there are flights of fantasy in order to enhance the emotions of the women’s lives. The music comes from everywhere. Military Wives Choirs have a huge repertoire of all kinds of songs – pop songs, chorus songs – through the decades. We’ve had the luxury of taking songs we believe the women would sing, that resonate in their personal stories.”
So, is it a jukebox musical? The answer would appear to be ‘sort of’. Adele and Coldplay are mentioned among what Debbie describes as “a brilliant array of songs that people will know and love.”
“The songs are treated quite differently as it’s a musical. In a way it’s part jukebox musical and full musical theatre at other times. Using different songwriters from different eras makes it feel very different.”
She is no stranger to jukebox musicals as she wrote the 2023/24 stage show I Should Be So Lucky featuring Kylie Minogue (digitally) and the songs of Stock, Aitken and Waterman.
After working through the back catalogue of that legendary threesome, choosing songs for Military Wives was less daunting. “It’s so interesting working with the choir idea because these women are singing in unison most of the time and make the songs work for a choir,” she says.
One common thread in much of her work are strong female characters which can be traced back to being part of 1980s theatre group The Snarling Beasties. “Those were the days I was obsessed with gender politics as a young woman. It was a company making new work, comedy, physical theatre. It was a brilliant time,” says Debbie.
“How many new British musicals are there? How many feature strong women? It’s important to make this work and vital we serve audiences.
Audiences – and for musical theatre particularly – are mostly women and they want to see their lives reflected back at them. It’s called Military Wives and is about being a woman. But is a universal story about being married, being estranged and having to deal with all kinds of things.
It’s also about the power of community. In these days we need this more than ever because we are much more isolated. Groups like community choirs are so important to people as a lifeline.”
She’s currently casting Military Wives which is all about “finding distinctive characters” as there’s a relatively small cast – eight women and four men. In the Nativity! films she’s worked with a long list of comedy actors including David Tennant, Martin Freeman, Martin Clunes, Catherine Tate and Ruth Jones. Likeable and funny are the top two things she looks for in an actor.
“They’re a prerequisite. Comedy is harder. Any actor worth his salt can play tragedy but not every actor can be funny. To have those funny bones is quite special,” she says.
She doesn’t want to return to acting. Besides, as she points out, she’s doing it all the time in workshops. “I sit around playing all the parts, having a great time, but I prefer the brilliant actors I work with to take the spotlight,” she says.
Her attitude to work changed after having her child. “My perspective shifted to different ideas. My love for family entertainment was born with my daughter,” she says.
Debbie also acknowledges her responsibility to the audience. She doesn’t want them to leave having had what she calls “a bleak experience,” explaining: “Yes, it’s an emotional experience but I feel a sense of duty for me to send an audience out feeling stronger, more empowered when they leave the theatre than when they arrived.”
Military Wives – The Musical is at York Theatre Royal from the 10 Sep to 27 Sep 2025.
Find out more information and book your tickets here.
