A spokesperson for the Donmar told Playbill.com, "Our associate director, Douglas Hodge, has been working with Pete Doherty and Carl Barat. It is something very much in the early stages of development with no deadlines attached. We at the Donmar are excited to be engaging with such brilliant talent, and we'll make an announcement as appropriate in due course." In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Barat said, "A producer from the theatre approached me through my record label. So I went down there to see a play, and we met up for a chat. He asked me if I was still in contact with Pete. I asked Pete and he loves the idea. He has invited me to Wiltshire to start writing it." They expect to write around 20 new songs for the show, which will revolve around an up-and-coming band.

Hodge, a well-known stage actor (currently appearing in the Menier Chocolate Factory's production of La Cage aux Folles through March 8; he previously appeared as Nathan Detroit in the original West End cast for the Donmar's production of Guys and Dolls), has also lately been directing, making his Donmar directing debut last year with Absurdia. This triple bill of absurdist comedies featured two old short plays by N.F. Simpson and a new comedy by Michael Frayn. His other directing credits include See How They Run (West End's Duchess Theatre after a regional tour), The Dumb Waiter and Other Pieces (Oxford Playhouse and tour) and Pachamama's Blessing (a piece he co-wrote for the Almeida and Edinburgh Festival).

Also presently in development, Damon Albarn (of pop group Blur) is writing a show for possible future production at the National Theatre.