“She’s got real nerve!” Irvine Welsh chooses a new life for Trainspotting as a musical | stage

It was a book, a play, and a movie. It has also spawned three sequels and two soundtrack albums. Now, Irvine Welsh’s 1993 debut novel Trainspotting is finding new life as a musical.

Trainspotting the Musical will open at London’s Theater Royal Haymarket in July, and will be adapted by the composer with an original selection of songs, as well as others used in Danny Boyle’s iconic film.

“It wasn’t the most obvious book to succeed,” Welch said. “And it wasn’t the most obvious movie or play to be a success. It’s a distorted expectation — especially my own.”

If the story of four friends who scam tourists, sign up and snort heroin in the dark days of Edinburgh’s needle-sharing crisis seems unlikely material for a West End show, the novelist points out the serious content of musicals like West Side Story, Oliver! And rent.

He expressed his hope that this play would avoid the pitfalls of other adaptations: “There are many shows in the West End that are either plays with music routinely thrown in or nostalgia pieces with irrelevant music from the era. The only way I can see Trainspotting a musical working is if we can write our own songs that drive it as a proper piece of musical theatre.”

This became possible when Wells formed a musical partnership with Stephen McGuinness. The duo released a soul and disco-infused companion album to Welsh’s 2025 novel ‘Men in Love’ and believe they can explore a similar range of genres on Trainspotting. They will collaborate on the music and lyrics.

The musical will also feature selected songs from the film’s soundtrack: the rights are still being negotiated but Welch admitted it would be strange if it didn’t include Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life.

He was not a big fan of musicals, he said, but had his own soft spots: “When I was a child, I went to see Oliver! eight times on holiday in Blackpool with Mum and Dad. They were delighted that I was dazzled by it. My favorite musical is White Christmas – I’ve watched it every Christmas Day for the last 50 years and cried every time.”

Trainspotting the Musical will feature two new characters as well as contextual material from Skagboys, his previous 2012 novel. “It’s been a long time coming, and I feel like I can look at the material more calmly,” he said.

In his West End debut, 26-year-old Robbie Scott will play Renton, a role first played on stage by Ewen Bremner in 1994 and on screen by Ewan McGregor two years later. Scott’s CV includes a series of performances at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, where he played the title role in Peter Pan and Wendy. Casting for Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud, Tommy and Kelly will be announced soon.

The show’s director, Caroline Jay Ringer, has worked with Steve Coogan, Tim Minchin, Harry Enfield and John Cleese, and her production of Only Fools and Horses the Musical is the Royal Haymarket Theatre’s longest running show. It’s a track record that stands it in good stead for a musical that promises to be as funny as it is brutal.

“I got the whole package,” Welsh said. “She understands the drama involved, she’s a former dancer so she understands movement, and above all, she has a sense of humour. If you’re going to give people dark material, you’ve got to make them laugh their titties too.”

What stood out in 1994 when director Harry Gibson brought his film adaptation of Trainspotting to the stage was the ferocity of the author’s language, mostly lifted straight from the page. As funny and cruel as it was, it seemed tailor-made for the performance. Later adaptations, such as the immersive Trainspotting Live, have confirmed this to be the case.

The same is true today, Welch said: “It has a real grit and verve in the way the actors attack each other. I’m really looking forward to the audience seeing it.” The musical is scheduled to premiere on July 15.