Actor and former Bake Off presenter Mel Giedroyc feared David Nicholls hated her performance in a stage adaptation of his debut novel Starter for Ten after she caught him with his head in his hands.
The 57-year-old stars in the Starter for Ten musical as Irene, the mother of student Brian Jackson (Adam Bregman), who wins a place on Bristol’s University Challenge team.
Giedroyc said Nicholls, who’s best known for his 2009 novel One Day, looked devastated when he attended production rehearsals leading up to the show’s opening night.
“We were thinking, ‘Is he hating this? Is he livid? Turns out he was actually crying. Tearing [up],” Giedroyc told Lorraine host Ranvir Singh on Friday (22 August).
Giedroyc dubbed the author’s reaction to their performances a “lovely thing”, adding that the “tender and life-affirming” show had been 12 years in the making due to its original Eighties-inspired score.
Starter for Ten is a coming-of-age musical adapted from Nicholls’ bestselling novel, as well as the popular 2006 film, which starred James McAvoy as Brian.
The film also featured early performances from Catherine Tate, James Corden and Benedict Cumberbatch.
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The musical had its premiere at the Bristol Old Vic in February 2024 and ran for a limited run until March. It was nominated for Best Musical Production at the UK Theatre Awards that year.
Starter for Ten returns to Bristol Old Vic this September for a month-long run before heading to The Rep theatre in Birmingham for an additional 10 nights.
The production is directed by Charlie Parham, choreographed by Shelley Maxwell (England on Fire, The Time Traveller’ Wife), and designed by Frankie Bradshaw (A Street Car Named Desire, Dear Octopus).
Nicholls said in a statement when the show was first announced in 2023: “Nearly 20 years after publication, it’s such a thrill that Brian’s misadventures are being brought to the stage, and by such a brilliant, dynamic team.”
Starter for Ten begins when Brian Jackson goes to university in 1985. He graduates in 1988 – the same year One Day characters Emma Morely and Dexter Mayhew finish their degrees in Edinburgh.
Nicholls previously told the BBC there is “definitely a continuity” between the two texts and says there are similarities between Emma Morely and Brian.
“She would slightly roll her eyes at him, but they would have things in common,” he said.
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