Maurice Gran and comedy writing partner Laurence Marks are best known for TV sitcoms including Birds of A Feather and Goodnight Sweetheart. Now the pair have branched into theatre, writing the book for hit jukebox musical Dreamboats and Petticoats, and new show Save The Last Dance For Me, coming to Canterbury this week. Maurice spoke to Kathryn Tye about their latest project.

A musical based on a compilation album of rock ‘n’ roll songs might seem an unlikely hit. But more than a million people have seen Dreamboats and Petticoats at theatres around the UK since it first premiered four years ago at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley.

Now the team behind the show are hoping to repeat the winning formula with Save The Last Dance For Me.

Set in 1963, it tells the story of two sisters from Reading who embark on their first holiday to the seaside away from their parents. They meet a handsome young American who invites them to a dance at the local US Air Force base, and holiday romance ensues, with unforeseen consequences.

The show has been written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran and produced by Bill Kenwright and Laurie Mansfield. It features the music of American writing partnership Doc Pomus and Mort Schuman who penned a host of classic 1960s pop songs including A Teenager in Love, Sweets for my Sweet, Can’t Get Used to Losing You and Save the Last Dance For Me.

Maurice said: “When Laurence and I were asked to write Dreamboats and Petticoats, we agreed to do it as we both liked the music of that era, and liked musicals. We had no idea it would be such a success – it really hit a target, I think because it was a dark time with the recession, and the show was very light-hearted and optimistic. When Laurie and Bill asked us to have another go a couple of years later, we said yes straight away.”

The pair, who met at a youth club in the early 1960s, drew upon their experience as teenagers during the period for Save The Last Dance For Me.

Maurice said: “When writing Dreamboats and this show, we tried to find songs that tell a story, and then used them to build our script.”

Although writing musical theatre may seem worlds away from the duo’s previous work on TV sitcoms, Maurice says that they found more similarities than they expected.

“When we looked at what a musical entailed, we realised that the actual book, when you take away the songs, only has about 40 or 50 minutes of dialogue. So we drew upon the skills we have honed over the years of writing economically to fit a TV timeslot.”

Among their biggest TV hits was BBC sitcom Birds of a Feather, which ran for almost 10 years through the 1990s. The duo have also been involved with a stage show which has just started touring the UK, starring the original cast of Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph.

Maurice said: “You hope everything you do will be successful, but when we made the first episode of Birds of A Feather, I had a good feeling about it. There hadn’t really been a show focused on women before, so we really hit a target.”

After almost 40 years in the business, Laurence and Maurice are still working harder than ever – but loving every minute of it. Maurice said: “We both live in Gloucestershire, about half an hour’s drive apart, so most days I go over to Laurence’s place, and we sit and chat for a few minutes about the news or football, then start writing.”

Among the pair’s projects are plans for a new sitcom. Maurice added: “There aren’t a lot of British sitcoms anymore. I’m a big fan of American shows like Modern Family and Curb Your Enthusiasm. They are masterpieces. We have a couple of irons in the fire but we know it will be a lot of work. That is the beauty of doing something for the theatre. Once you have done it, it is finished. The producers don’t say ‘Can we have another six by Christmas?’”

Save The Last Dance For Me will be at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre from Monday, May 20, to Saturday, May 25. Tickets from £15. Call 01227 787787.

Birds of a Feather will be at Bromley’s Churchill Theatre from Tuesday, June 18, to Saturday, June 22. Tickets from £11.90. Call 08448 717 620.