Stephen Jeffreys is perhaps best known for The Libertine, his 1994 play about the debauched life of poet John Wilmot, the Earl of Rochester, which was made into a film filmed at Blenheim Palace and starring Johnny Depp.

But his latest project has seen him turn his attentions from the aristocracy to the darker, criminal underworld of the 18th century.

The Convict’s Opera is a re-working of John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, with the action moved from Newgate Prison to a convict ship bound for Australia. While on board, the convicts rehearse a production of The Beggar’s Opera, vividly and at times poignantly reflecting the life they have left behind forever.

The result is a show within a show, with an explosive mix of romance, intrigue, mutiny, passion and humour. It’s also an excuse for a glorious medley of music old and new, drawing on Gay’s original score and re-working pop classics such as Sailing, Only You, 500 Miles and Those Were the Days.

Unlike Gay, though, Stephen is not overly concerned about putting across a social message in The Convict’s Opera.

“Although it makes a few points, it’s meant to be entertainment,” he insists. “Gay’s idea was to talk about the similarity between the gentlemen of the road — the highwaymen — and the gentlemen about town.

“It was also a political allegory, which was obviously relevant at the time, but has now been completely lost — although the idea of the morality of the convict not being that much different to the morality of the politician is probably still with us.

“But what I did with writing the story of the Australian convicts around it, I’m pointing out the kind of thing that would happen to the convicts in The Beggar’s Opera.

“There’s a few references to The Beggar’s Opera, and to transportation, which was originally something that happened between Britain and America, and subsequently between Britain and Australia.”

One of the show’s strengths is undoubtedly its musical score, put together by Felix Cross, probably best known as the artistic director of black music theatre company Nitro.

How closely did Stephen work with him on the arrangements?

“Basically, I wrote the words and he came up with the music for them. But I did have certain ideas for songs, which I came up with, and I rewrote the lyrics for most of the modern songs.

“The show starts with a version of Sailing. We thought we’d start with a contemporary song because most of the songs in John Gay’s opera were popular tunes at the time, so we thought we’d do the same, and have popular tunes of our time. They’re tunes that people will know, and I’ve put new words to those tunes.”

A joint production by UK company Out of Joint and Australia’s Sydney Theatre Company, The Convict’s Opera was the brainchild of veteran theatre director Max Stafford-Clark, who is marking his directorial comeback after suffering a stroke in 2006. So how did Stephen get involved?

“When he was offered the chance of doing a co-production with the Sydney Theatre, he came up with this idea and decided that I was the writer to do it. I’ve worked with him a few times before, and I’m known for writing convincing historical dialogue.

“At that time he’d just had his stroke and he couldn’t read — all he could do was think, and he just lay in bed and dreamed up the next five years’ work! It’s not an idea I’d normally have thought of, but he had a very clear notion of what he wanted.”

The show features a cast drawn from the UK and Australia, and from a variety of musical backgrounds — including opera, musical theatre and cabaret. This must give the piece an interesting dynamic, I suggest to Stephen.

“Yes, the combination of different voices is particularly exciting. I think it gives a really interesting texture to the voices; they sing amazingly well together. In terms of nationality, they get on very well. The atmosphere in the company is extremely happy.”

After premiering in Sydney last autumn, The Convict’s Opera opened in Salisbury in January at the start of a three-month UK tour, and is already selling well at all venues.

“It’s been really well received so far. The audiences are loving it. It’s an intriguing mixture — it’s partly a classic play, partly a new play and partly a musical, so it’s a very good night out.

“I think the thing people enjoy the most is recognition when the modern songs come in. Things like The Proclaimers’ 500 Miles — there’s always a big recognition level when that arrives, and because it comes in on the back of an 18th-century tune, the change of texture is really exciting.

“As a member of the audience you never quite know what’s around the corner, and that makes it extremely popular.”

lThe Convict’s Opera by Stephen Jeffreys, directed by Max Stafford-Clark, is at the Oxford Playhouse from February 10-17. Box office: 01865 305305, or oxfordplayhouse.com