Editing Ben Elton (section)

=== Musicals ===
Elton collaborated with [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]] on ''[[The Beautiful Game (musical)|The Beautiful Game]]'' in 2000, writing the book and lyrics (Lloyd Webber wrote the music). ''The Beautiful Game'' won the London Critics Circle Award for best new musical.

He went on to write compilation shows featuring popular songs from the catalogues of pop/rock artists. The first was the musical ''[[We Will Rock You (musical)|We Will Rock You]]'' with music by [[Queen (band)|Queen]]. Despite unfavourable early reaction, this was successful in the [[West End theatre|West End]] and won the 2003 Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best New Musical.<ref>{{cite web|title=We Will Rock You|url=https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/reviews/we-will-rock-you|website=Londontheatre.co.uk|access-date=15 March 2013|author=Alan Bird|date=17 May 2002}}</ref> It has since opened in the US, Australia, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Japan, Germany, [[Switzerland]], Sweden, Canada, and The [[Netherlands]]. Elton also directed the 10th Anniversary Arena tour, in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=We Will Rock You revival set to tour Australia, arena style|url=http://aussietheatre.com.au/news/we-will-rock-you-revival-set-to-tour-australia-arena-style/|website=AussieTheatre.com|access-date=15 March 2013|author=Erin James|date=8 July 2012}}</ref> The musical ran for 12 years in London.<ref>{{cite news | last = Moreton | first = Cole | title = Ben Elton, interview: 'Michael Gove made an arse of himself' | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/11216107/Ben-Elton-Michael-Gove-Blackadder-first-world-war.html | date = 11 November 2014 | access-date = 23 April 2015 | work = [[The Daily Telegraph]] }}</ref> The character of Pop was originally played by Elton's ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]'', co-star, [[Nigel Planer]].

His second compilation musical was ''[[Tonight's The Night (2003 musical)|Tonight's the Night]]'', based on the songs of [[Rod Stewart]], which opened in London's West End in November 2003.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tonights The Night London theatre stage show|url=http://www.thisistheatre.com/londonshows/tonightsthenight.html|access-date=2020-11-15|website=www.thisistheatre.com}}</ref>

Elton worked with [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]] on the musical ''[[Love Never Dies (musical)|Love Never Dies]]'', which opened in London's West End in 2010. It was the sequel to Lloyd Webber's ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1986).<ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-03-08|title=Love Never Dies {{!}} The Show {{!}} A Note From The Composer|url=http://www.loveneverdies.com/the-show/a-note-from-the-composer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308065309/http://www.loveneverdies.com/the-show/a-note-from-the-composer|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-03-08|access-date=2020-11-15}}</ref>

Elton directed a new 20th anniversary tour of ''[[We Will Rock You (musical)|We Will Rock You]]'', that opened in February 2022 and visited over 25 cities in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web|title=We Will Rock You 20th anniversary tour to be directed by Ben Elton {{!}} WhatsOnStage|url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/liverpool-theatre/news/we-will-rock-you-20th-anniversary-tour-ben-elton_55371.html|access-date=2021-11-22|website=www.whatsonstage.com|date=19 November 2021 |language=en-GB}}</ref> He will also make his theatre debut as the Rebel Leader (previously known as Pop) in a production of the show in 2023 at the [[London Coliseum]] from 2 June to 27 August. The 3 main cast members from the touring production will also be starring.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/we-will-rock-you-announces-full-west-end-cast-_58724.html/ | title="We Will Rock You" announces full West End cast – with Ben Elton set to make stage debut | date=12 April 2023 }}</ref>

Elton wrote and directed ''[[Twiggy The Musical]]'', a jukebox musical based on the life of ''[[Twiggy]],'' which had its world premiere at the [[Menier Chocolate Factory|Menier Chocolate Factory, London]] in September 2023 (originally titled ''Close-Up: The Twiggy Musical'') and will tour the UK from September 2025.