A new musical celebrating the life of the North East songwriter who found fame with his worldwide Christmas hit Little Donkey will tour the region in spring 2024.

Eric Boswell enjoyed great commercial success in the 1950s and 60s writing for stars including Matt Munro, Ricky Valance and Gracie Fields.

Fields took Little Donkey to the top of the charts in 1959 and it was a hit for many other artists around the world as well as becoming a fixture in school nativity plays and carol concerts.

The Northern Echo: A new musical has been written about Eric Boswell, who found fame with his worldwide Christmas hit Little DonkeyA new musical has been written about Eric Boswell, who found fame with his worldwide Christmas hit Little Donkey (Image: CONTRIBUTOR)

Now, a new musical about Boswell's life - titled The Donkey, The Whippet and the Giant Leek - will be performed by his friends, international opera stars Graeme Danby and Valerie Reid.

The show features more than 20 of Boswell’s hits and compositions including ballads and comic songs from his North East Songbook.

The production – written and devised by Tom Kelly and Graeme Thompson – charts Boswell’s life and career from his early days in Sunderland to his final years in Northumberland where he died in 2009 aged 88.

The Northern Echo: Eric Boswell believed his best work was to be found in his songs about the changing face of the North EastEric Boswell believed his best work was to be found in his songs about the changing face of the North East (Image: CONTRIBUTOR)

Boswell always believed his best work was to be found in his songs about the changing face of the North East in the last quarter of the 20th Century.

Songs including The Whippet, The Ghost of St Mary’s, Maybe This is Love, The Summer of Last Year and The Great Longbenton Leek are featured in the new show – a labour of love for singers Graeme and Valerie.

The Northern Echo: Graeme Danby and Valerie Reid, who both knew Boswell, will be performing in The Donkey, The Whippet and the Giant Leekwill be performing ongs in Graeme Danby and Valerie Reid, who both knew Boswell, will be performing in The Donkey, The Whippet and the Giant Leekwill be performing ongs in (Image: SUNDERLAND CULTURE)

“We got to know Eric towards the end of his life when we were recording his songs,” said Graeme, who is much in demand around the world for his rich bass voice.

“I’m from Consett so I loved the fact he was writing these wonderful songs about life in this part of the country. He had a unique way of capturing the dialect, character and landscape of the North East - and his melodies are just gorgeous.”

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Valerie added: “We were privileged that he wrote a song for our wedding. Maybe This is Love is about a Scottish lass meeting and marrying a Geordie lad – which is exactly our story. And we can’t wait to perform it along with so many of Eric’s other songs.”

The tour begins at the Phoenix, Blyth (April 6) and moves to the Fire Station, Sunderland (April 11), Ponteland Methodist Church (April 13) Queens Hall, Hexham (April 23) Bishop Auckland Town Hall (April 26) Alnwick Playhouse (April 27) 17Nineteen, Sunderland (May 4) and the Customs House, South Shields (May 12).

Other dates and venues will be added.

The Northern Echo: The Donkey, The Whippet and the Giant Leek, about the life of Eric Boswell, will be touring the North East in spring 2024The Donkey, The Whippet and the Giant Leek, about the life of Eric Boswell, will be touring the North East in spring 2024 (Image: SUNDERLAND CULTURE)