THE Time Traveller's Wife had its world premier last night (Friday, September 30) at Chester's Storyhouse theatre and one half of the musical's revered songwriting team spoke to The Standard ahead of the opening night.

As part of eighties pop duo Eurythmics, Dave Stewart created some of the most enduring hits of the decade including 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)' and 'Here Comes the Rain Again'. Throughout the following two decades he would produce film and television soundtracks working with artists like Mick Jagger, with whom he won a Golden Globe for the song 'Old Habits Die Hard' from the film Alfie. His latest project sees him reunited with award-winning singer-songwriter Joss Stone to create the musical backdrop to Lauren Gunderson's stage adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger's best-selling novel.

"I was kind of seduced by Lauren Gunderson the playwright, I don't mean literally. She came to visit me in my studio and I was intrigued, though I hadn't read the book. I'd heard plenty of people talk about it.

"Colin Ingram, the producer who I worked with on Ghost: The Musical suggested I meet her and she flew from San Francisco and met me in my studio and literally acted out the whole play and all the characters.

"I thought 'this woman is brilliant' and then I learned she's the one of the most produced playwrights in America. That's why I said straight away, 'I'm interested in this'."

The musical promises to be a love story "like no other" and yet "like all others". As characters Henry and Clare proceed to meet, fall and love and marry - but not in that order.

Mr Stewart says that the new musical is a unique take on the story, which differentiates itself from both the film adaptation and the television series. The musician also found that the narrative, which focuses on the changing nature of a relationship through time, is something which everyone has experience of, despite the sci-fi elements.

"Having just turned 70 two weeks ago, I have been in a few relationships. I met Annie [Lennox] a long time ago and we still to this day are talking about like, she's busy choosing material in LA that we're both getting suits made out of to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"That relationship has withstood every possible thing you could imagine. Living together on £8 a week for two years and then on the other side of the scale, being tied to a rocket and being hugely successful. I could relate that to a movie I'm making and to The Time Traveller's Wife."

Whilst the subject matter may have been easy to negotiate, the logistics of writing the songs proved more difficult. With the project having been years in the making, Dave Stewart and Joss Stone faced challenges when attempting to write together.

"It was very complicated for us because there was Covid and then lockdowns. Fortunately, we both have a house in Nashville and I have studio in Nashville so we could do quite a bit there and I also have a studio in the Bahamas so she came with me and we did quite a bit of it there.

"These things take quite a while. When I first started writing with Joss on The Time Traveller's Wife she was single and now she's about to have a second baby."

In a video clip shared to the Storyhouse website, Joss Stone told fans that the project had been "one of the most fun and interesting" that she had been a part of and joked that she was "gutted" the premier had coincided with her upcoming due date.

Talking about the venue where theatregoers will hear the new songs for the very first time, Mr Stewart said: "It looks a perfect setting and a fitting place to launch.

"When I first learnt the guitar I used to get pocket money, like sixpence or something, I would go straight to Sunderland train station and ask them 'where can I go for this?'

"I would just go and walk around with a guitar or play in the station, so I think I might have come to Chester at one point," he laughs.

The Time Traveller's Wife will premier at the Storyhouse in Chester with performances taking place until October 15. For further information and to book tickets visit: https://www.storyhouse.com/event/the-time-travellers-wife.