Tautus.

Hello, it's Claudia here and you're listening to the slow newscast from Tautus.

Over the festive and New Year period, we're sharing two of our favourite essays written previously for Tautus.

This week, Zelda Perkins tells the story of David Bowie's final act.

The Final Act

But I know nothing about producing theatre.

I was talking to the theatre impresario and film producer Robert Fox, and I needed a job.

He had suggested that I might become his associate producer.

I didn't feel that the theatre studies module of my degree many moons before would qualify me,

but it turned out my bruising years working

for the now disgraced Harvey Weinstein and Miramax, not to mention my enthusiasm for the

plays of David Hare, did the trick. And the first project I was given to manage was Hare's

skylight at the Wyndham's Theatre in the West End, starring Bill Naye and

Kerry Maligan. Producing it, Robert had predicted, would be a much easier and more joyful

experience than producing a film, and so began a very happy partnership. When I joined him, Robert

was engrossed in a big Andrew Lloyd-Weber musical called Stephen Ward.

He needed someone to take some of the load of the exciting projects he had on his slate.

These ranged from a new Martin-McDonough play, something with Nile Rogers of Sheik,

another with Hugh Jackman, a new television series about the Royal Family by Peter Morgan,

a film script,

and, oh, potentially a musical with David Bowie.

Wait, David Bowie?

...