Viva Forever! snubs Spice Girls' solo songs (apart from Ginger Spice's, that is)

Alice Jones' Arts Diary

Geri Halliwell aka Ginger Spice (Rex Features)

When Viva Forever!, the new musical inspired by the Spice Girls, opens next week, it will be an opportunity to revisit some old chart hits. “Wannabe”, “Mama” and “Goodbye” will all feature, alongside less well-known Spice Girls numbers such as their last single “Headlines” and album track “Right Back at Ya”.

But what of the back catalogues of the Spice Girls as solo artists? Will they feature? Only Geri Halliwell’s first solo hit, "Look at Me", apparently, which will be performed by the judges on the fictional television talent show.

“It’s a very diva-like song and perfect for the hard world of television and its judges who we portray as the gods on Mount Olympus”, Judy Craymer, the producer of the show tells me. “And there’s a tiny snatch of Mel C’s ‘I Turn to You’. Apart from that it’s pure Spice Girls”.

What no room for Emma’s “What took you so long?”, Mel B’s cover of “Word Up” or Victoria’s duet with Dane Bowers “Out of Your Mind”? Shame.

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