As previously reported the hunt is on for a new piece of musical theatre.
Submissions of an unpublished or never performed one-act musical had been invited for this initiative from Leicester Square Theatre of which six have been selected for assessment at a public rehearsed reading.
Each reading will feature 30 minutes of material from a submission with a cast, a director and a musical director provided by the Theatre. Feedback from the industry panel will determine which of the six will be taken to full production. There will also be a Q & A with the industry panel and audience.
The six pieces receiving rehearsed readings are:
- The Next Big Thing – book, lyrics and music by David Kent
After a series of rejected formulaic novels, aspiring author Helena finally creates a heroine who has a will of her own. - Grace Notes – book & lyrics by Robert Gould, music & lyrics by Christopher J Orton
A musical love story that begins during the racial tension of late 60s America and ends in the early 80s. - Part A – music and lyrics by Freya Smith and Jack Williams
Take a house party. Add a pinch of awkwardness, a dollop of social faux pas, and a light sprinkling of self-reflection. Then turn it into a musical. - Reception – book, lyrics and music by Tom Read Wilson and Gary Albert Hughes
The year is 1967. George and Annie on the surface are a perfect couple but George has a secret. Returning to the Music Hall George frequented as a soldier on leave has more to it than mere nostalgia. George is gay. Annie knows and, as his soul mate, exhibits the greatest altruism in marrying him to protect him from an oppressive, fiercely conservative family. But neither of them has been confronted with the reality of one of George's affairs, let alone the real love of George's life. - Pierced – Tamar Broadbent
Pierced is a comic but touching portrayal of youth today, with all its idealism, ambition and awkward comedy. It follows the stories of five teenagers in the summer after finishing school, an insightful reflection of the social life and identity of a generation. - De Profundis – Paul Dale Vickers based on the words of Oscar Wilde
A musical dramatisation of the letter Oscar Wilde wrote to his long-term lover Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie) from Reading Gaol. It is a deeply confessional letter in which we witness Wilde’s distorted perception of time, his imaginary encounters with Bosie and his cathartic journey of creativity as he recreates the past in order to find ways of articulating his feelings in the present.
The assessor panel includes Sally Ann Triplett whose credits include Anything Goes, Chicago and Guys and Dolls, and award winning composers George Stiles and Anthony Drewe whose work includes Honk!, Mary Poppins and Betty Blue Eyes.
Tickets are on sale to the public for the rehearsed readings which will take place on 26 January, 2, 9, 16 and 23 February and 2 March. For further information and booking, visit the Leicester Square Theatre web site.