Drive to develop new generation of home grown stage musicals unveiled
Edinburgh is set to become a launchpad for a new generation of S cottish stage musicals under ambitious plans to develop a series of home - grown hits with the help of a host of leading musicians, composers and theatre-makers.
Deacon Blue frontman Ricky Ross, singer-songwriter Barbara Dickson and David Greig, the Scottish playwright behind hit shows like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Local Hero and The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Har t are to help launch a long-term drive to turn the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh into “the home of great new Scottish musicals.
The venue is launching a project to develop a series of new stage shows which "celebrate Scotland's culture, spirit and humour” while it is closed over the next few months due to the ongoing restrictions over live events.
The S cottish Governmentfunded venture, which is part of a bid to reboot the venue following its lengthy shutdown during the pandemic, will see the nation’s musicians, writers and artists tasked with coming up with ideas for new shows to emulate the success of recent hits like Sunshine on Leith and Glasgow Girls.
They will then be developed from scratch into full-scale touring pro ductions by the
Festival Theatre and Pitlochry Festival Theatre, who are joining forces to create the new “musical commissioning hub to uncover, develop and roadtest new shows for the foreseeable future.
S u b mi s s i o n s f o r p o te n t i a l new musicals will open next w e e k , w i t h a m i d - D e c e m - b er deadline set in the hop e t h a t t h e f i r s t mu s i c a l t o b e s e l e c t e d w i l l b e a b l e t o b e u nve i l e d i n s c r a t c h f o r m a t the Festival Theatre’s studio theatre, where the new hub i s p l a n n e d t o b e b a s e d , a n d then at a studio facilit y that Pitlochr y Festival Theatre is planning to create in its existing building early next year.
An exper t panel being cre - ated to judge the submissions will also include award-winn i n g c o m p o s e r H o w a r d G o o d a l l , w h o s e We s t E n d hits include Love Stor y a nd B end it like B eckham, Kenny Wax , t h e p r o d u c e r o f E d i nburgh Festival Fringe sensation Six, Olivier Award-winning actress Katie Brayb en, star of the Carole King musical, and Rob er t S oftey Gale, whose new musical My Left / Right Foot was a huge hit for the National Theatre of S cotland last year.
Fiona Gibson, chief executive of Capital Theatres, which runs the Festival Theatre, said: “Music is such an important par t of S cotland's heritage. As we emerge through lockdown and social distancing, we believe Scottish audiences have an appetite for new musicals celebrating Scotland’s culture, spirit and humour.
"This unprecedented period of our venues being closed provides a unique window of opportunity to progress new Scottish works at a time when enjoyment and entertainment has never been more necessary.”
E l i z a b e t h N e w m a n , P i t - lochry Festival Theatre’s artistic director, said: “As we navigate through these challenging times, it feels vital that we continue to develop new work by brilliant Scottish artists that celebrates Scotland’s lo ng history of creating great music for its theatre audiences.”