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Time: A West End Sci-Fi Spectacle

"Time" premiered in London’s West End at the Dominion Theatre on April 9, 1986, a lavish musical brainchild of Dave Clark of The Dave Clark Five. Running for two years until April 1988, it clocked over 700 performances, directed by Michael Benthall and produced by Clark himself alongside John Madejski. With a book by Clark and David Soames, music by Clark, and lyrics by Soames and Jeff Daniels, it starred Cliff Richard as rock star Chris Wilder and boasted a groundbreaking hologram of Laurence Olivier as Akash, the Ultimate Being. This ambitious sci-fi venture, costing £3 million £1 million on lasers alone blended rock anthems with a cosmic narrative, drawing over a million attendees despite mixed reviews, cementing its status as a bold 1980s theatrical experiment.

A Cosmic Courtroom Drama

The story unfolds as Earth faces judgment in a celestial tribunal led by Akash, a holographic overseer who deems humanity’s time up due to its destructive ways. Chris Wilder, a rock star beamed from a Wembley concert alongside his band Louise, Dave, and Jackie is tasked with defending mankind. Facing the stern Melchisedik and the Council of the Universe, Wilder pleads humanity’s case through song, highlighting love, hope, and resilience. As the stakes rise, Earth’s fate hangs on Wilder’s performance, with a time-travel twist revealing a future Earth reborn. This blend of courtroom drama and futuristic redemption offered a quirky, earnest take on mankind’s potential, wrapped in a rock opera sheen.

A Rock Score with Laser Flair

Dave Clark’s music drives "Time" with a robust rock pulse, featuring hits like “Time Talkin’,” “Born to Rock ‘n’ Roll,” and “The Time Lord Theme,” all penned with Soames and Daniels. Cliff Richard’s “She’s So Beautiful,” a UK Top 20 single, and Stevie Wonder’s guest track “It’s Time” added star power, while “We’re the UFO” brought campy fun. Conducted by Mike Moran, the score backed by a 48-track studio recording rolled out on vinyl, cassette, and CD via EMI, selling over 100,000 copies. The show’s £1 million laser effects, including Olivier’s 12-minute hologram, dazzled, though critics found the music “bombastic” against its thin plot, a relic of 1980s excess.

A Cast of Rock and Theatrical Titans

Cliff Richard headlined as Chris Wilder, his pop charisma anchoring the show after David Cassidy exited rehearsals. Laurence Olivier’s Akash, a pioneering hologram, lent gravitas his final role, filmed in a day for £250,000. David Hersey voiced Melchisedik, with Jeff Shankley, Dilys Watling, and Cheryl Baker (of Bucks Fizz) as the band Dave, Louise, and Jackie. John Hellyer played Captain Ebony, with 48 dancers amplifying the spectacle via John Napier’s spaceship set and Benthall’s staging. Richard’s two-year stint, despite vocal strain, drew fans, while Olivier’s “ghostly” cameo approved despite his frailty made theatrical history.

A Flashy West End Legacy

"Time" rode the 1980s wave of high-concept musicals, opening amid “Les Misérables” buzz yet carving its niche with tech and star appeal Princess Diana attended twice. Its £3 million budget dwarfed peers, recouping costs with a million-plus audience, though a Broadway bid stalled post-London. Critics panned its “puerile” script Kenneth Tynan called it a “two-hour video” but fans embraced its earnest kitsch. A 1986 cast album and rare TV airing keep it alive, with no major revivals since. As of March 2025, “Time” stands as a West End curio overblown, heartfelt, and a testament to Clark’s vision merging rock, sci-fi, and theatrical daring.