Variety reports that Lloyd Webber is currently working on a musical stage adaptation of the 19th-century novel, which concerns a rich young woman and an evil plot to swindle her through marriage. Charlotte Jones, the Humble Boy playwright, will adapt the book, and Lloyd Webber hopes to premiere portions of the musical's score during his Sydmonton Festival this July. About the new project, Lloyd Webber told the industry paper, "It's the first subject I've really, really been excited about for a long time." Originally published in 1860, "The Woman in White" has been adapted several times. Adaptations include a 1997 version for British television, French and German miniseries, four silent versions and the 1948 film starring Sydney Greenstreet, Agnes Moorehead, Eleanor Parker, Alexis Smith and Gig Young.

One of the most successful composers in theatrical history, Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, Song & Dance, Aspects of Love, The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind and The Beautiful Game. He also co-produced Bombay Dreams, which is currently playing in London with an eye toward Broadway in 2004.