The Spice Girls (from left) Melanie Chisholm, Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Brown and Emma Bunton perform in Vancouver, on Dec. 2, 2007. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

A musical theatre production based on the Spice Girls and their music is being created by Mamma Mia! producer Judy Craymer in London.

American Idol producer and former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller announced the project, to be called Viva Forever, on Thursday.

The girl group dominated the pop charts in the 1990s with their cheery songs, including the 1998 hit Viva Forever.

Craymer hopes to do with the Spice Girls' repertoire what she did with Abba's hits for Mamma Mia! — string together a group of songs with a story line and create a worldwide theatre hit.

"I want to create a unique celebration of the band and its music, with its own flavour and joyful message. It is important to me that the excitement, style and humour of the Spice Girls is well represented on stage," she said.

Craymer produced both the stage and screen versions of Mamma Mia! She will work with Fuller to create the West End Spice Girls production.

Fuller managed the Spice Girls, until they opted to manage themselves in 1997, and has since worked with individual members of the group on solo projects. He said the Spice Girls had a strong influence on pop music and still have loyal fan base.

In 2007, all five members — Melanie Chisholm, Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Brown and Emma Bunton — reunited for a world tour, but they have since gone their separate ways.

No timetable was announced to bring the production to the stage.