Much is being made of the backing of Robert de Niro, one of Hollywood's biggest names, for the Queen musical We Will Rock You, that opens at the Dominion Theatre in May.

Along with de Niro and Queen, the show is being produced by Phil McIntyre, and was written by Ben Elton, who made his musical debut collaborating with Andrew Lloyd Webber on The Beautiful Game, and features the music of Queen. Starring Nigel Planer, it will be directed by Christopher Renshaw, who most recently directed The King and I, with choreography by Arlene Phillips.

Booking for We Will Rock You opens on Feb. 1, and given the popularity of Queen, together with the extraordinary theatricality that their work always demonstrated, the show is likely to be one of the major attractions this season. De Niro's involvement also suggests that the producers have an eye on the lucrative American market.

—by Paul Webb Theatrenow