Sophie’s lockdown musical
“Fifteen songs later we had a musical” JAKE CLOTHIER speaks to Sophie Hastings on her first theatrical production, Everything Between Us
ASINGER-SONGWRITER from Reading has written a new musical, Everything Between Us.
Sophie Hastings, 27, has composed the music and lyrics, with her brother, James, a film-maker, working on the script.
The musical follows a British journalist in a love story set among the events of the building of the Berlin Wall.
Sophie says: “It’s a love story, but it’s also about friendship, and it’s strange how it has kind of related to the times at the moment.”
“When we wrote it, we were all in lockdown, and we could kind of relate in that respect of being away from our friends, couldn’t see our family.
“But then as time went on, it also kind of related to the Ukraine war– it’s interesting how it’s come along and different things have popped up and it’s still relevant.”
Sophie and James are running a two-week-long workshop to rehearse and refine the piece before a workshop performance in London.
“I started gigging when I was about 18, so I never really sang in front of anyone before that sort of time.
“I’d always been interested in musical theatre– I’ve never actually been in any shows or anything like that, but I’d written a song.
“I showed it to my mum and my brother, and they said it would be quite a good song for a musical.
“Fifteen songs later, we had a musical.”
The entire project is self-funded, with a number of actors attached having recently graduated.
“We have an actor from Reading too, but the rest are in London, which means most will be travelling.
“But some are even staying at my parents place, just to make it work, really.
“I’m not a West End producer, and I haven’t got endless flowing money, so we have to try and make it work to make people as comfortable as they can be, and it takes a lot of convincing.”
She says however that “everyone on the project has been absolutely wonderful.”
The production currently has a cast of 10, who will begin workshops in Aldermaston on Monday, July 4, ahead of a workshop performance at the new Marylebone Theatre on Saturday, July 16.
“This means it’s stripped back,” Sophie explains. “There’s not any kind of backdrops or big lights, it’s simple – just the songs, chairs and tables, l ittle props, anything that anyone touches.”
The stripped back nature of the show also means that Sophie can continue work on the production while working with other commitments.
“I work for a radiology company– we used to be in Theale, but now I’m a client administrator here in Reading.
“So it’s totally different to the day job, but the dream is obviously music and theatre.”
She says that the project has required some juggling with her work.
“Creators have always got to have that money coming in, of course, and it’s been really great to me, with my confidence especially.
“It’s brought out a lot in me, and I’m really thankful for that, of course, but putting the musical together has been really great.”
Sophie says that she and her brother have been working with musical director Archie Combe, who has helped bring the elements of the production together.
“We got him on board probably about a year into it, and he would work on orchestration, and that side of things, and we’re thankful for having him.”
With this being her first full production, Sophie is less anxious than might be expected.
“We’ve got some really talented people in the cast, and I have my little moments, like we all do,
“It’s a really nice venue, 220-seater, but hopefully we’ll secure some funds for a full production,
“It’d be great to see it with a full ensemble and backdrops – but that will be further down the line.”
While the final workshop production is not currently open to members of the public, Sophie says that she hopes she will be able to offer tickets closer to opening night.
■ For more information, visit www.infinitystaged.com