Overview
Synopsis
Based on the music of Queen, We Will Rock You is set 300 years in the future in a futuristic and globally corporate world. Planet Earth has been renamed the iPlanet (sometimes called "Planet Mall" in older productions) and is controlled by the Globalsoft Corporation. The head of Globalsoft is the sinister Killer Queen, who has banned all non-computer generated music. She has heard of a prophecy that instruments have been hidden somewhere on the planet and that ‘The Dreamer’ will emerge from the people to show the way to them. She orders her Chief of Police, Khashoggi, to get to the bottom of the matter and crush any rebellion. Meanwhile, Galileo, a young student and an outsider, is desperate to “break free” from this corporate world. He hears lyrics in his dreams and is heralded as the star of the prophecy by the Bohemians who have been searching for the lost instruments. To fulfill the prophecy. Galileo must evade the clutches of the Killer Queen and finally bring back the music. With the help of Pop, an aging hippie librarian, Galileo and Scaramouche find Rock's Holy Grail--Brian May's guitar--buried in the remains of Wembley Stadium.
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Context
We Will Rock You was born from an idea that, like Queen's music, refused to follow the rules. In the late 1990s, legendary Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor were approached about creating a jukebox musical using the band’s songs. At first, a conventional biographical show was suggested—but they quickly rejected the idea. Queen, after all, had always been more about pushing creative boundaries than following formula.
Instead, British comedian and writer Ben Elton was brought
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Act One
Set 300 years into the future, We Will Rock You transports us to a dystopian Earth—now known as the “iPlanet” (or “Planet Mall” in earlier productions)—where individuality has been deleted and conformity is compulsory. This society is ruled by the all-powerful Globalsoft Corporation, where creativity is crushed, and music as we know it—especially rock—is outlawed. ("Innuendo")
On the iPlanet, the populace has become eerily uniform: the Ga Ga Kids all wear the same clothes, think
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in We Will Rock You.
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Songs
Showing 8 of 27 songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number.
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
THEMES
Conformity versus Individuality
The musical's central theme explores the tension between enforced uniformity and personal expression in a future where Globalsoft Corporation dictates thoughts, fashion, and culture on the iPlanet. Ga Ga youths conform mindlessly to synthetic pop in numbers like "Radio Ga Ga," while outliers like Galileo and Scaramouche reject this homogenization, dreaming of forbidden authenticity. Their nonconformity drives the plot, highlighting how
to read about the themes, symbols and motifs from We Will Rock You and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Key Terms
The antagonist is a character who opposes the protagonist and creates conflict within the story. They are not always villains but are critical to the development of dramatic tension.
A powerful, resonant singing technique used in musical theatre to project high notes with chest voice.
Describes characters or artists who reject conventional norms, often romanticized in theatre and musicals.
A dramatic setting depicting a repressive future society, used to explore political and philosophical themes.
An “I Want Song” is a number, usually placed early in a musical, where a main character expresses their deepest desire or ambition. This song sets the character’s journey in motion and gives the audience a clear emotional stake in the story. It has become one of the most recognizable and enduring conventions of musical theatre structure.
A jukebox musical is a type of musical where the score is made up of pre-existing, well-known popular songs instead of original music.
Describes a genre or setting in theatre that explores life after societal collapse, often raising existential themes.
A rock musical is a form of musical theatre that incorporates the rhythms, instrumentation, and energy of rock-and-roll into its score. Emerging in the late 1960s with shows like Hair, rock musicals often bring a contemporary, rebellious edge to the stage. They blend theatrical storytelling with the raw power of popular music to attract younger and more diverse audiences.
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher