The man behind Bond and Born Free gets his own West End show
Don Black has spent more than five decades writing songs for films and musicals. Now From The Heart is bringing his career and best-known songs back to the West End.
Don Black wrote Born Free, Ben, Diamonds Are Forever, Love Changes Everything and As If We Never Said Goodbye. His work also includes five James Bond themes, as well as the musicals Aspects of Love and Sunset Boulevard.
Now his career is getting its own West End show.
From The Heart returns to the Garrick Theatre from 8 October, following a sell-out run last year. The production has been expanded for its return, adding new songs written with collaborators including Gary Barlow, Natasha Bedingfield, David Arnold, Debbie Wiseman and Mike Batt.
The show is rooted in Black’s love of New York cabaret, which he has credited as an important influence on his career. Alongside his songs, it will feature stories from his life in music and a surprise guest at every performance.
There is plenty for fans of his best-known work, including Born Free, Ben, To Sir With Love, Love Changes Everything and With One Look. His Bond songs include Diamonds Are Forever, The Man With The Golden Gun and The World Is Not Enough.
Clive Rowe and Caroline O’Connor return from last year’s production, joined by Michael D. Xavier. Nick Winston directs, with Joe Church as musical director and Nick Barstow arranging the music.
Black’s career has stretched from film and popular song to some of the biggest British musicals of the past 50 years. He and Christopher Hampton won the 1995 Tony for Best Original Score for Sunset Boulevard, alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music.
The new material means From The Heart isn’t simply a run through the back catalogue. It gives Black’s familiar songs some context while showing that the story of his songwriting career is still being added to.
And perhaps that’s the appeal. These are songs most audiences will know, even if they don’t immediately know the name of the man who wrote them.
From The Heart: dates and tickets
Where: Garrick Theatre, 2 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0HH
When: 8–18 October 2026
Performances: 15 in total
Running time: 80 minutes, no interval
Age guidance: 8+
Tickets: from £35
Elena Leo is the Culture & Lifestyle Editor of Ikon London Magazine.
