Bowie hits back at ballet claims

Bowie played Thomas Jerome Newton in Nicolas Roeg's film

David Bowie has denied reports he has given permission for his songs to be used in a stage show inspired by his 1976 film The Man Who Fell To Earth.

His statement follows claims in the Sun newspaper he was collaborating with the Danish choreographer Peter Schaufuss.

Bowie's record company RZO Music said "absolutely no material" had been licensed for the proposed dance show.

But Mr Schaufuss told the BBC he had obtained the necessary permission to use Bowie's music in Denmark.

'Absolute toss'

"We have done everything by the book," he said, saying the show would have its premiere on 26 September.

The choreographer hopes to use up to 15 David Bowie tracks in his production, including Let's Dance, Space Oddity, Life on Mars and Starman.

There are no plans to stage the show outside of Denmark, he added.

However, he did admit the show's name would probably be changed as rights to The Man Who Fell To Earth had not been secured.

Last week Bowie dismissed reports he had approved a musical based on The Man Who Fell To Earth as "absolute toss".

"I have no idea who Peter Schaufuss is either," he said in a posting on his website.

'Injunctions, if necessary'

Based on a novel by science-fiction author Walter Tevis, The Man Who Fell To Earth tells of an alien who comes to Earth looking for water to save his arid planet.

Nicolas Roeg's film version starred Bowie as Thomas Jerome Newton, the humanoid alien.

Bowie's representatives said they are close to the Walter Tevis estate and have "first-hand knowledge" they have not licensed rights to Schaufuss.

They also claimed the production's advertising "appears to be utilising an unauthorised name and likeness of Mr Bowie".

"We will seek injunctions, if necessary, to stop their use," their statement continued.

Controversial

Mr Schaufuss said he had paid a picture agency �1,000 for a photo of the singer to use on his show's promotional material.

"I don't feel we've done anything incorrect," he told the BBC News website.

Schaufuss, a former director of the London Festival Ballet (now the English National Ballet), set up his own company, the Peter Schaufuss Ballet, in 1997.

Since then he has created 17 productions, among them a controversial dance piece based on the life of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Satisfaction, another dance piece based around the music of the Rolling Stones, was staged in London's West End last year.

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