The "raw electricity" of one of theatre’s most talked-about solo shows is moving from the stage to the silver screen. MUSIK, the acclaimed one-woman play starring Frances Barber, is set for a special nationwide cinema release on 9th and 12th April 2026.
Written by the multi-award-winning Jonathan Harvey (Beautiful Thing) and featuring original songs by pop icons Pet Shop Boys, the production offers a savage, satirical, and surprisingly poignant odyssey through the chaotic life of an outsider icon.
The Return of Billie Trix
At the center of the film is a "towering" performance by Frances Barber, who reprises her role as Billie Trix. First introduced in the 2001 musical Closer to Heaven, Billie is a preposterous, existentialist legend whose career spans post-war Berlin, the New York art scene, and various disco comebacks—usually while high and always on her own terms.
The cinema event combines a live recording from the show’s 2025 run at London’s historic Wilton’s Music Hall with additional scenes filmed specifically for the big screen. The result is an immersive experience that brings audiences closer than ever to Billie’s surreal world of sequins and subversion.
A Cult Classic Reimagined
Since its 2019 Edinburgh Festival premiere, MUSIK has garnered five-star reviews and been hailed as "Spinal Tap meets Andy Warhol." Critics have praised Barber as "simply staggering," while the Edinburgh Evening News lauded her ability to deliver "barbed one-liners and banging songs" with fearless vitality.
Reflecting on the cinema release, Frances Barber said:
“Performing as Billie Trix has always been a live, dangerous exchange, and the big screen brings audiences closer than ever to that relationship. Sharing Billie with cinema audiences across the UK feels like giving the show a bold new lease of life!”
Mixing high-energy cabaret with a heart-wrenching memoir, MUSIK cements Billie Trix’s status as a definitive outsider icon. As the character famously declares: "I am music. Ich bin Musik. Without me, there is nothing."
Tickets and participating venues can be found at musikincinemas.com.
