Great Scott, Cardiff – the DeLorean is finally coming our way!
Strap in for the smash hit BACK TO THE FUTURE THE MUSICAL, landing at the Wales Millennium Centre as part of its first ever UK tour. Winner of Best New Musical at the Olivier Awards, WhatsOnStage Awards and Broadway World Awards, this“perfect musical escapism” (Metro) is ready to take you on an electrifying journey through time.
Based on the iconic 1985 movie and brought to the stage by the film’s original creators Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, this multi-award-winning production is dazzling critics and thrilling audiences across the globe – and now it’s our turn to experience the ride of a lifetime.
When teenager Marty McFly is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric Doc Brown, he disrupts the space-time continuum and must race against the clock to put things right – and get back to the future.
Back to the Future the Musical features original music by multi-Grammy winners Alan Silvestri (Avengers: Endgame) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror), alongside hit songs from the movie including The Power of Love,Johnny B. Goode, Earth Angel and Back in Time.
Not a lot more to tell you just yet. Casting will be announced in due course.
In the meantime we’ve put together….
TEN THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT BACK TO THE FUTURE
When ‘Back to the Future’ premiered in 1985, it quickly became one of the most beloved science fiction adventure films of all time. The story of Marty McFly traveling back to 1955 in a DeLorean time machine captured audiences with its humour, creativity, and heart. Michael J. Fox’s performance as Marty and Christopher Lloyd’s eccentric Doc Brown helped turn the movie into a cultural icon that still resonates with fans today.
1. The Time Machine Was Almost a Refrigerator
Before the iconic DeLorean became a pop culture legend, the time machine was originally written as a laser device inside a refrigerator. The idea was scrapped partly because director Robert Zemeckis feared children might climb into fridges imitating the film. Thankfully, the stainless-steel DeLorean DMC-12 gave the movie its unforgettable aesthetic instead.
2. Eric Stoltz Was Originally Marty McFly
Five weeks into filming, actor Eric Stoltz was fired from the role of Marty McFly. The filmmakers felt his dramatic interpretation didn’t match the film’s comedic tone. He was replaced by Michael J. Fox, who had initially been unavailable due to his sitcom schedule.
3. Michael J. Fox Filmed Two Jobs at Once
Michael was starring in Family Ties during the day and filming Back to the Future at night. For weeks, he slept only a few hours each day, sometimes going straight from one set to the other without rest.
4. The Clock Tower Was Nearly Cut
Universal executives initially wanted to remove the lightning-struck clock tower subplot, fearing audiences wouldn’t understand it. Ironically, it became one of the most memorable sequences in the film.
5. The Studio Didn’t Like the Title
Studio head Sid Sheinberg thought the title Back to the Future sounded confusing and suggested renaming it Spaceman from Pluto. The filmmakers famously responded with a humorous memo pretending to thank him for his “joke,” and the original title survived.
6. Doc Brown’s Name Has a Sci-Fi Origin
Doc’s full name, Emmett Brown, is a playful nod to science fiction writer H. G. Wells, whose time-traveling character in The Time Machine was simply called “The Time Traveller.” “Emmett” is also said to be a subtle play on “time” spoken backwards.
7. The Guitar Scene Caused Legal Trouble
Marty’s performance of “Johnny B. Goode” was so convincing that musician Chuck Berry later joked that Michael played it better than he did. However, Chuck initially objected to the way the song was credited in the film, which required legal clarification.
8. The Twin Pines Mall Joke Is Realer Than You Think
When Marty runs over one of farmer Peabody’s pine trees in 1955, the mall’s name changes from “Twin Pines Mall” to “Lone Pine Mall” in 1985. It’s a subtle continuity detail many viewers miss the first time around.
9. The Hoverboard Was So Convincing People Thought It Was Real
After Back to the Future Part II was released, director Robert Zemeckis received countless letters from children asking where they could buy hoverboards. He jokingly claimed they were real but that parents’ groups had forced them off the market.
10. The Ending Wasn’t Supposed to Set Up Sequels
The famous final line, “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” wasn’t originally intended to tease a sequel. In fact, the filmmakers didn’t expect to make one at all. The film’s unexpected blockbuster success changed everything, launching a trilogy that remains one of cinema’s most beloved.
BACK TO THE FUTURE THE MUSICAL is here in 2027 from 19th October through to 13th November with lots of performances and times. Tickets aren’t on general sale just yet, but will be this week. Keep an eye out HERE.
