In 2004, Green Day released their phenomenally successful seventh studio album, 'American Idiot'. With its themes of disillusionment and disbelief at what sections of American society had become, and a certain theatrical quality, not least with the nine-minute 'Jesus of Suburbia', the album was a storyboard.

Many felt the record was a comment on American foreign policy and its image around the world, with President George W Bush the eponymous imbecile. Not true. Billie Joe Armstrong wrote the song as a response to America's, at times, shameless redneck culture at which he was aghast. So in a way, it was about Dubya after all.

Like many of the 14 million who bought the record, director Michael Mayer was intrigued by its concept and accents. He approached the band and found he was pushing at an open door. Together with Green Day, and frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, who wrote the book for the production, Mayer used the band's music to expand the themes of 'American Idiot' into a full, sung-through musical production.

Making its Broadway debut in 2009, American Idiot has since proved a commercial and critical success, winning two Tony awards and seeing stints from Melissa Etheridge and Billie Joe Armstrong himself in the role of St Jimmy.

After a US tour, the production is coming to the UK in autumn next year for a busy three-month tour beginning in Southampton on 9th October, moving to Cardiff (from 15th October), Edinburgh (from 22nd October), Glasgow (from 29th October), Manchester (from 12th November) and Birmingham (from 26th November), before the final run of dates at the Hammersmith Apollo from 4th to 9th December 2012.

The tour includes at least five dates in each location, including a long run in Manchester and a number of matinée performances.

We will have tickets available when they go on sale at 10AM on Saturday 11th December 2011.

Stewart Darkin