Bette and Joan and Baby Jane is a new musical, based on the BBC radio play by Tracy-Ann Oberman.

The year is 1961. In the twilight of their careers, Hollywood grande dames Bette Davis and Joan Crawford grapple with their deep-seated rivalry on the set of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, a ‘Hag Horror’ movie that no one thinks will ever get made. But with gossip columnist Hedda Hopper trying to sniff out their darkest secrets, the two stars realise they may have more in common than they care to admit. 

Set to a dark musical score that oozes liquor-soaked regret and sass, Bette And Joan And Baby Jane explores the making of a cult classic and the thorny relationship between two fading icons.

About Tracy-Ann Oberman

Tracy-Ann Oberman is a writer and performer for stage, television, radio and film. Her other BBC Radio 4 plays include Rock and Doris and Elizabeth, Mrs Robinson, I Presume (about The Graduate), That Dinner Of ’67 (about Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?), and Turning Point (about Mae West). In her ground-breaking interpretation of The Merchant of Venice 1936, Tracy-Ann has moved the story to London’s East End circa 1936 and takes on the role of Shylock herself, inspired by her great-grandmother. 

Credits

Book by Tracy-Ann Oberman & Shaun McKenna
Music by James Cleeve
Lyrics by Nikki Racklin