Dundee Rep Theatre and Cove Park have announcedthe musical theatre artists who will take part in a pioneering new inventive residency programme in Dundee Rep Theatre and Cove Park have introduced the musical theatre artists who will take part in a pioneering new inventive residency programme in Scotland this Spring.
The Musical Theatre Writing Residency is a two-week worldwide programme for rising and established e book writers, composers, and lyricists from the UK, India, and the United States.
Taking place within the beautiful environment of Cove Park from 04 – 17 March 2024, the programme will see writing groups supplied with an immersive and inventive house to freely join, develop, collaborate and create concepts for brand new musical theatre works.
Artists have been invited to use as groups of as much as three collaborators with a musical theatre concept in want of growth, able to take it to the subsequent stage in its creation. Following a aggressive choice course of that noticed practically 200 functions, 13 artists will participate within the residency fortnight, with a various vary of multigenerational inventive voices at totally different levels of their careers.
The creative collaborators will embrace Scotland/UK-based artists Debbie Hannan and Andy McGregor; Linda McLean and David Paul Jones; Samir Bhamra, Devesh Sodha and Robby Khela; Jonathan O’Neill and Isaac Savage; US-artists Nikki Lynette and Lili-Anne Brown; and Indian artist Sushma Soma.
The residency will see the groups growing their concepts, with tasks and themes together with a punk rock musical primarily based on the story of a few of Scotland’s most militant suffragettes, a 90s-inspired sci-fi romp set round Scottish UFO hotspot Bonnybridge, and a haunting horror musical that blends darkish rock, city grime, pop, and cinematic scores with Hindu mythology.
The residency has been developed by Dundee Rep Theatre and Cove Park alongside twelve Scottish and worldwide companions, making it one of many largest collaborative tasks within the current historical past of the performing arts in Scotland.
Partners embrace Capital Theatres, Citizens Theatre, Macrobert Arts Centre, National Centre for the Performing Arts (Mumbai), National Theatre of Scotland, Octopus Theatricals (New York City), Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and the Traverse Theatre. Associate companions embrace A Play, A Pie and A Pint, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Playwrights’ Studio Scotland and the Tron Theatre.
Working alongside Cove Park and Dundee Rep, the associate organisations will play a worthwhile position supporting the artists with their very own wealthy and various experience. All companions are dedicated to growing the musical theatre panorama, each in Scotland and additional afield. This pilot residency is majority-funded as a part of the British Council & Creative Scotland Partnership: Connect & Collaborate.
The residency has been devised by Andrew Panton, Artistic Director of Dundee Rep Theatre, and can embrace facilitated periods with Dramaturg Jeanie O’Hare (previously Director of New Work Development at The Public Theater), Music Supervisor James McKeon (Musical Director: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, London), Donna Lynn Hilton, Artistic Director of Goodspeed Musicals, Connecticut and David Greig, Artistic Director of Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh. Shonagh Murray joins as Associate Musical Supervisor, with Imogen Stirling, supported by Playwrights’ Studio Scotland, becoming a member of as Associate Dramaturg.
The creatives will even profit from networking alternatives and workshop periods, each in-person and digital, with industry-leading writers, composers, producers, administrators, and different theatre practitioners – together with Tony® Award-winning director John Doyle, Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning producer Mara Isaacs, Tony® Award-winning producer Rashad V. Chambers, and extra.
Andrew Panton, Artistic Director at Dundee Rep Theatre, mentioned: “This residency has been a number of years in the making. I’m thrilled that so many sector-leading organisations in Scotland, India and the US have joined Dundee Rep and Cove Park to present this residency. We will be creating a safe space for the participating artists to experiment with their work and the form. We know that there is huge audience demand for musical theatre and this is an opportunity for our participants to learn from industry-leading experts and from each other, I believe that this is a huge investment in the talent that we need to create the next decade of great musicals.”
Mara Isaacs, Creative Producer & Founder, Octopus Theatricals, mentioned: “This residency represents the kind of multi-national, multi- sector collaboration that is essential to the flourishing of our field. There’s no telling what inspirational sparks will fly in a room filled with and supported by theatre companies, artists and colleagues representing the future of musical theatre in the UK, the US and India.”
Alex Marrs, Programmes & Communications Producer at Cove Park, mentioned: “We look ahead to welcoming this thrilling cohort of musical theatre creators to Cove Park. This residency expresses our core intention to supply a supportive house for threat and experimentation and addresses the acute and rising want for funded musical theatre growth alternatives in Scotland. Alongside such inspiring associate organisations, we’re delighted to assist the creation of modern and impressive musicals for the good thing about audiences nationally and internationally.“