Before taking on any project, I ask myself: Does my heart lift at the idea?

How does one persuade an award-winning playwright to adapt a beloved novel and infamous movie into a musical?

Apparently, you send an email.

“I remember receiving an excited email from my agent,” Bryony Lavery recalls, “who then insisted—and continues to insist—on crooning ‘Everybody’s Talkin’ At Me’ whenever we speak about the show! I saw the film when it first came out (I’m that ancient!) and it felt both exciting and daunting.”

So, what was it about Midnight Cowboy that made Bryony as enthusiastic as her agent?

“I have an absolute rule,” she tells me. “Before taking on any project, I ask myself: Does my heart lift at the idea? And it did. Plus, I got to work with director Nick Winston again, so that sealed the deal!”

“As an adaptor,” she continues, “the impulse to take on a show like this is more of a desire to successfully move the story into a new form—without damaging it.”

But before the adaptation even begins, Lavery admits there’s a particular ritual: “Well, first, I panic!” she laughs. “Then I read and re-read the source material. I do any relevant research—like asking whether the piece should remain in its original time period or be updated. Then I live with it for a while. And finally, I indulge my stationery obsession. I get out my coloured highlighters and mark possible dialogue, characters, activities, and action—then I start writing.”

The novel, written by James Leo Herlihy in 1965, became the foundation for the show. Although Herlihy is no longer alive, his estate was supportive, even offering early notes on the structure. One suggestion was to frame the story with an older Joe looking back. Lavery stood firm.

“They wanted an older Joe to bookend the piece—with young Joe opening and old Joe closing it. But I always thought the bus journeys were such brilliant choices in both the book and the film. They should be honoured. The first journey is full of hope, and the last is full of despair.”

Lavery goes on to explain that film and theatre have very different DNA so whilst the Academy award winning film was very faithful to the book, her primary source was always James Herlihy’s classic novel.

Turning such a dark, gritty narrative into a musical might seem like an odd choice, but for Lavery—renowned for her brave, emotionally complex storytelling—it was an exciting challenge. “It seemed to be in the same category as the likes of ‘West Side Story’ and ‘South Pacific’, under the big musical numbers, they are, at their core big, dark, sad tragedies.”

Navigating the emotional range of a piece like this—from darkness and grit to moments of tenderness and humour must have been a huge challenge, how did Lavery approach that?

“Hopefully with brilliant taste and commitment!” she says. “The mix of humour, tenderness, and darkness in Midnight Cowboy is a close relative of my original work. And the story felt especially relevant today—with these two lost, neglected boy-men trying to survive in an unfriendly world. I also wanted to explore the sex industry more than the film was able to at the time.”

Another bold creative choice was enlisting three-time Ivor Novello winner Eg White—best known for pop hits like Adele’s Chasing Pavements and Will Young’s Leave Right Now—to compose the score. Midnight Cowboy would be his first foray into musical theatre.

Lavery lights up when she recalls their first collaboration.

“It was so easy from the start. He arrived at my house on a scooter one night, and we just went through the text together and decided where each song should live. In musicals, songs are always the stars—my job is to create the space between them. Then, he sent through the songs, and they were utterly thrilling.”

In the end, it’s clear that this project wasn’t just an adaptation—it was a labour of love. With its mix of grit and heart, tragedy and hope, Midnight Cowboy continues to resonate deeply. And with Lavery’s words, Winston’s direction, and White’s music, this new telling may just offer audiences something unforgettable: a reminder that even in the darkest places, connection can still shine through.