Directors announced for BEAM2018

Musical Theatre Network and Mercury Musical Developments today announce Hannah Chissick, Adam Lenson, James Dacre, Peter Rowe, Josh Seymour, Tania Azevedo, Cressida Carre and Kate Golledge as directors for the eight 25-minute extracts from new musicals to be presented at BEAM2018.

Casting includes Janie Dee and Gay Soper in F**ked in Marrakech with further casting to be announced shortly. In addition, the biennial two-day event presents fifty 10-minute pitches constituting the largest national showcase of new British musicals in development.

BEAM brings the most exciting musical theatre projects together from around the UK, offering a platform for musical theatre writers to present new ideas to professionals within the industry offering opportunities to become involved in the early stages of development. BEAM2018 is going to be the UK’s largest ever industry showcase of new British musical theatre – made up of 58 musical pitches and showcases all bursting with new talent, new discoveries and new ideas.

The musicals being presented consist of a 50% gender split; with 20% of writers from BAME heritage. 60% of the pieces and writers showcased at BEAM2016 have been picked up for further development, commission or production.

Below are more details about the line-up of the 25-minute excerpts with styles and genres ranging from prehistoric ritual to futuristic digital explorations.

Executive Director of Musical Theatre Network, James Hadley and Executive Director of Mercury Musical Developments, Victoria Saxton said today ‘This impressive line-up of Directors, including two Artistic Directors, reflects that new British musical theatre is increasingly being taken

seriously at the highest levels of our industry. The incredible talent involved across the board at BEAM2018, including performers, music directors and musicians, demonstrates artists want to be involved in the creation of new, excellent and diverse work. We look forward to sharing the exciting musical theatre discoveries of BEAM with producers, venues, investors and literary managers and anyone interested in supporting the development of new British musical theatre.’

The Season

By Jim Barne and Kit Buchan

Directed by Hannah Chissick

A snow-covered romantic comedy about a New Yorker showing a British visitor around her city on Christmas Eve, ahead of her sister’s and his father’s wedding – this mixed-race two-hander celebrates and satirises the grand tradition of Christmas romance.

Bollywood Rose

By Sumerah Srivastav and Ajay Srivastav

Directed by Adam Lenson

A cross cultural coming of age story, about a young and cynical British Asian single mother, who finds herself trapped inside a Bollywood movie.

Mammoth

By Alexandra Wood and Matthew Herbert

Directed by James Dacre

An inventive musical set 45,000 years ago, when music allows homo sapiens more complex communication than their limited vocabulary – giving them new imaginings and the courage to kill a beast bigger than themselves.

Lucky Petra

By Christopher Ash and and Carl Miller

Directed by Peter Rowe

A promenade musical for all ages, led by a travelling band inspired by Balkan Brass Bands and Roma/punk mashups, telling a story of a young girl’s magical travels and contemporary migration.

F**ked in Marrakech

By Kate Marlais and Alex Young

Cast includes Janie Dee and Gay Soper

Directed by Josh Seymour

The women of three generations of a British family work through resentment and reconciliation while together in Marrakech – in a family portrait exploring how we shape our past, present and future.

The Bow Maker

By Finn Anderson and Tania Azevedo

Directed by Tania Azevedo

A modern ecological fairytale linking an endangered species of tree in the Brazilian rainforest with the making of bows for the world’s finest string players – featuring an onstage string quartet and Brazilian percussion.

The Wind Singer

By Teresa Howard and Sarah Llewellyn

Based on the novel by William Nicholson

Directed by Cressida Carre

A family musical about a fierce girl in a tribal world, on a quest to find the Wind Singer’s lost voice and free her people – with a score including a children’s choir, musical saw and tuned wine glasses.

My Marcello

By Rosabella Gregory, Dina Gregory and Corey Brunish

Adapted from the film Roseanna’s Grave; Directed by Kate Golledge

Marcello has promised his ailing wife that the one remaining plot in the local cemetery, beside their daughter, will be hers, but he must keep the whole town’s population alive for this to be so – resulting in comic acts of desperation in a musical comedy with a very big heart.