November 15, 2011 16:24

Former 'Spider-Man' musical director Julie Taymor criticises U2's Bono and The Edge

Julie Taymor says period working on doomed stage show was 'very dark times'

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Former Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark director Julie Taymor has criticised U2's Bono and The Edge for their role in axing her from the musical.

Taymor, who was sacked from her role earlier this year after spending nine years working on the show, said she was fired and criticised by people who had no idea of what was going on behind the scenes.

The director, who had been described by U2 guitarist The Edge as being "overwraught" and "exhausted" before she was sacked, told Esquire magazine: "There's no doubt by the end of February, when I felt all of this stuff happening, that I was exhausted by that, but not by the show and not by the inspiration I was getting from the actors."

She then went on to add:

What was exhausting was the fact that the producers were absent… Those people weren't there, so how does Bono know? I'm sorry.

She also refuted the criticisms that The Edge made of her, saying: "I think that those were important to paint a picture of a director who you needed to release in order to make this big change. I had to be characterized that way in order for something to happen."

Last week (November 9), Taymor revealed that she was suing the producers of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark for over $1 million (£621,000) after claiming that her creative rights have been violated and that she hasn't been paid appropriately for her work.

The show, which is widely reported to be the most expensive musical in history, suffered a series of early setbacks, which included injuries to cast members and financial problems, and was forced to close for three weeks earlier this summer.