Within media, there is a lot of debate about what works as a stage or screen adaptation, but nowadays it seems that books get flipped left and right until you don’t know what came first: the play, film or the book.
Books inspire plays and musicals all the time, look at Shakespeare which inspired West Side Story or almost any Disney Princess such as Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast – all of which were books way before the stage adaptations.
If you love musicals, Broadway and plays then you should get to the bottom of your favorite productions by giving their original inspirations a read. Check out these 10 plays based on books to add to your summer reading list.
10. Oliver!
Oliver Twist by the great English writer Charles Dickens went on to inspire the Broadway hit Oliver! about a young orphan who goes to the big city and turns to petty crime to get by. The book was written in the 1830s and would not be adapted for the stage until 1960. Oliver! ran for 3 years and with a total of 774 performances on Broadway, according to Musical Theater International, but it has been adapted to stages around the world for the last 50 years.
This is a great book for fans of classic literature, and perfect if you have seen the play Annie as well.
9. The Woman In Black
The Woman In Black was published in 1983 by British author Susan Hill, and in 1987 became one of the most terrifying plays to see on the stage as it follows a complicated ghost story of love, society, and lies set in Victorian-era England.
The play made headlines at London’s West End in the ’80s and is revived in theaters worldwide – despite world-renowned success, it can’t be denied that the play derives from the book, and in this case, a book can encompass much more terror and mystery than a live production. Give the book a spin for a classic ghost story, especially if you love mystery.
8. A Streetcar Named Desire
Long before Marlon Brando uttered his famous catchphrase “Stella!” in the film adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire, or Paul Mescal took to West End for a modern revival, came the original book by Tennesee Williams.
This book, turned play turned film is a unique example of a trifecta for adaptations. Just as powerful as the words on the page, it translates through the actor’s passion and complexity both on the stage and on camera. It is rare to see media be lifted off the page in ways that keep the origin alive, this book can be added to a list of great adaptations in terms of content and sticking to the story’s core.
7. Mean Girls
Mean Girls is a millennial cult classic film and has become a must-see stage production in the last 5 years, but most fans of the franchise don’t realize it is based on a book by Rosalind Wiseman titled Queen Bees and Wannabees. Although the purpose of the book is quite far off from the beloved high school clique plot, it is actually a book for parents discussing how high school students form cliques so they can better understand their teen’s dynamics.
As the book was written in 2002, it might not stand with today’s generation in terms of parenting advice but it sure made for an epic base for a tale that will surely go down in history as a film and stage production.
6. Legally Blond
Another shocker for millennials who are fans of the Legally Blonde franchise, it is also based on a book by Amanda Brown. But this time, the novel holds truth to the plot of the film and musical, in addition to being based on the author’s lived experiences.
Brown was a bubbly law student at Stanford and felt that she stuck out like a sore thumb based on her personality and appearance compared to her peers, that is to say, she was treated differently or underestimated in her field. The author wrote in an op-ed for Stanford magazine about the parallels between herself and the fictional character Elle Woods.
For die-hard fans, the book is definitely something to add to your reading list.
5. The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz gets most of its fame for being one of the first films ever produced in color, and the grand scale of the production made history without a doubt – but this timeless tale stems from a book by L. Frank Baum.
There may be no surprise that it is a children’s book, but it still is recreated today and beloved around the world, not to mention constant stage revivals of this everlasting tale.
4. Wicked
Wicked has taken a viral storm in the last 10 years with its Broadway debut and musical songs that relate to today’s young people, and just like its predecessor The Wizard of Oz, it’s based on a book. Gregory Maguire wrote the Wicked children’s novel series in the 90s, which would eventually evolve into the beloved musical it is today.
After over 20 years, it is finally getting a highly anticipated scree-adaption starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Ervio coming out towards the end of 2024.
3. Of Mice And Men
Of Mice And Men is another book that can be added to the list of plays based on books, as the script taken from the book by John Steinbeck equally matches the actor’s complexity with the book’s careful attention to detail.
This is one of Steinbeck’s most famous works, but not the only work to be developed into a play. For fans of the author, The Grapes of Wrath has also been adapted both into a play and a film.
2. Fun Home
Fun Home is a book by Alison Bechdel that takes a look at the gender and sexual expression of young women as she navigates being herself both in society and in around her family. The play adaptation overtook both Broadway and The West End about 10 years ago.
While this book and play might be less of a household name compared to others on this list, let this be a new gem to discover both to add to your reading list and to look out for the next production.
1. Doctor Zhivago
Doctor Zhivago’s film adaptation has taken most of the critically acclaimed fame, but the play is beloved around the world – as is its original novel by Boris Pasternak. While the plot takes place in between the Russian Revolution and World War II, this story falls under the category of romance more than anything and was quite steamy for its time as it was written back in 1957.
As with other titles on this list, the adaptations meet expectations when it comes to representing the story of the book, preserving its magic and helping it remain a timeless classic.
The line between the library and the theatre is thinner than you think. Who knows? The next time you find yourself at the book store, you may find yourself searching for even more plays based on books to add to your repertoire.
