Stephen Ward

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical is centred on the society osteopath who became the unwitting victim of the Profumo Affair – the political scandal that rocked London in the early sixties.

The affair between Secretary of State for War – John Profumo and society “good-time” girl Christine Keeler, who was reputedly the mistress of a Russian Spy, developed into a political and society scandal that rocked a government, with Prime-Minister Macmillan resigning a few month’s later due to failing health.

Set up as a scapegoat, Stephen Ward was targeted by self-righteous politicians, press and society alike. This was the first time that the British press had reported a full-blown sex scandal and Ward became the reluctant Martyr ultimately taking his own life.