Charlie Simpson talks new role in ‘The War of the Worlds’ and the future of Fightstar and Busted

nme.com:

Charlie Simpson has spoken to NME about his upcoming role in Jeff Wayne’s musical adaption of The War Of The Worlds, and shared how the future looks for Fightstar and Busted.The latest version of the production will head to UK arenas in spring 2025 and tell the story of H.G.

Wells’ iconic 1898 sci-fi novel, in which an extraterrestrial race threatens humanity. Simpson has been announced for the role of The Sung Thoughts of the Journalist – the character for which is depicted on stage by Liam Neeson – while other names confirmed for the cast include Enter Shikari’s Rou Reynolds, The Wanted’s Max George and more.“It all came together because Jeff Wayne called me and asked me to come to his studio so we could have a chat,” Simpson told NME. “I knew the story, of course, but I’d never seen the production.

I remember when he said that he thought my voice would suit The Sung Thoughts of the Journalist it surprised me because I’ve never done anything like this before.”He continued: “The prospect of doing it was nerve-wracking at first, but then it started to feel like an exciting new challenge.

It’s a bit of a jump into the unknown, but I’m glad to be a part of the original sci-fi tale.“This plot was something that had never been written before, pitting humanity against an alien race.