A WEST End big hitter has been busy at The Watermill Theatre – directing a musical based on a true story.

Theatre director and choreographer Craig Revel Horwood – who has been booed by the nation as a harsh Strictly Come Dancing judge – is directing rags to riches musical Spend Spend Spend! at the Newbury venue.

The show features the story of 1961 pools winner Viv Nicholson, whose life was turned on its head when she won the equivalent of £5million.

Talking about the show, Australian-born Horwood, whose background is in ballroom dancing, said: “When Viv Nicholson won the pools, she didn’t know what to do with the money and there wasn’t anyone to protect her.

“So she just went out, the papers asked her ‘what are you going to do?’ and she just said ‘spend, spend, spend!’ “The papers were full of pictures of her guzzling champagne, and so she lived this life of hedonism filled with alcohol, went to Italy and bought designer clothes.

“It’s a musical about her life, which might seem a bit bizarre, but what’s wonderful about it is it’s a human story and there are some great tunes in it, some wonderful duets – it’s about that northern attitude.”

He added: “She lived through lots of tragedies. She had five husbands and was pregnant at 16, but it’s not all doom and gloom.”

For the production Horwood – who is also directing Hot Mikado, which will run at The Watermill between September 3 and 19 – faced the challenge of choreographing actors holding their instruments on the venue’s small stage.

Unfazed, he said: “You would expect it to clutter the stage but it works. It’s a brilliant space for telling intimate stories and believing the characters. I’ve got so much freedom here, creatively.”

Asked about his diverse career, Horwood, who is also a judge for New Zealand’s Strictly, said: “Theatre and choreography are my passions.

“Strictly is my Saturday job, but Monday to Friday I’m always doing theatre, which always surprises people, but that’s why I’m on Strictly. They wanted people who had a high profile in theatre.

“I love doing TV and I would like to do more. I think Strictly is a great show, it’s hugely engaging and entertaining and it has got the world to dance, and it beats a lot of the other shows on a Saturday night.”

This year, the busy director is also doing a pantomime, playing classic villain the Wicked Queen in Llandudno’s Venue Cymru.

He said: “People can come to north Wales and boo me – I’ve done the Strictly Live tour and had 16,000 boo me. It’ll be really fun, though!”

Spend Spend Spend! is running until August 29 and tickets can be booked at the box office, on 01635 46044 or online at watermill.org.uk