Set in the East End of London during the aerial bombings of the Second World War, Blitz was based on Lionel Bart's own childhood memories of growing up in war torn London. According to the author, the musical was 'three human stories inside an epic canvas; the major human conflict personifies the spirit of London and how that spirit developed during the period of the piece.' Expectation for Blitz was high, especially as Oliver! Was still running in the West End, and the musical went some considerable way of matching expectations, running for 568 performances, whilst the cast recording would peak at #7 on the chart during the course of some five months on the listings.