The West End – and consequently venues across the UK – is filled with musicals written around pop songs and adapted from films. These shows – Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You, Zoro, Dirty Dancing and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to name but a few – are undoubtedly popular, if not critical, successes. Many have been running for several years and attract packed houses; there is clearly something very appealing to audiences about being able to sing along to their favourite rock and pop songs or follow the exploits of their film heroes live on stage. But what effect is this glut of second-hand musicals having on the industry as a whole and how can musical theatre practitioners hope to make a mark in such a creatively-closed off atmosphere?The West End, it seems, is a lost cause. There is really only one show that qualifies as a ‘new’ musical currently running in the West End. It is Spring Awakening, a 2006 adaptation of the 1891 Frank Wedekind play. The on…