Musical Theatre in the UK by Chris Grady  

First published in TMA's PROMPT magazine. For more information, please click here.

The West End is alive to the Sound of Music, TV has solved the problems of Maria, schools up and down the country are preparing to present High School the Musical, and we can rock, be cool, or stomp if we wish. So what’s the problem. We are awash with musicals.  And anyway musical theatre is an American artform, and only one-in-a-thousand new writers are worth presenting.  So that’s the present (whether true or not)…But what of the future.
 
For twenty years I have believed there is no fundemental difference between the writing genes of an American or a Brit. There is no fundemental difference between the ambition of a playwright or a composer. And there is no fundemental difference between supporting a new musical or a new opera. However the perceived wisdom is that musical theatre is a commercial business, and all other forms of art/entertainment can be considered artforms.  At its core the difference is something deep in the UK psyche which I’d love to understand better, and maybe help to change. 
 
Thanks to the TMA for inviting me to introduce MTM:UK as a possible tool for that change. Started in October last year, very quietly, without a penny of funding and no staff to raise a fanfare, Musical Theatre Matters has grown over the year to provide an opportunity for like minded professionals (and those aspiring to produce and present in the future) to come together and share ideas, share projects, and share some light refreshments.  Unlike the TMA or the League, SOLT or the ITC, it is not there to be a formal business forum for members. It is designed to be light and flexible to serve the needs (and inspire the ambitions) of its members.  It is my hope that, in time, any member of the TMA will consider it’s a worthwhile organisation to join and at £45 per annum (£100 for three representatives from one organisation) it hopefully won’t break the bank.
 
We have three ambitions (not massive ones) – to know more about what’s happening, to make a few things happen, and to champion an artform which dare not speak its name. Musical Theatre.  I’m delighted that the LPO has kindly supplied me with the perfect quote to raise the artistic stakes, from Kurt Weill, “I believe that the musical theatre is the highest, the most expressive and the most imaginative form of theatre, and that a composer who has a talent and passion for the theatre can express himself completely in this branch of musical creativeness”. I think that view will be shared by many. In time we hope it will be shared by the Arts Council and others who might, just might, help to make the change in the UK artform which is needed.

It seems to me that we have the “demand” from performers, from audiences, and from theatres for new musical theatre [although I admit the taste for experimental work is not yet developed as it is for film, new plays, new dance]. We have a raw commodity which could be nurtured and developed into a healthy supply – we have people who love words, we have people who love music, we have people who aspire to bring the two together and make musical theatre. What we need is encouragement (I think) to help make it all happen. Maybe MTM:UK can be one of the catalysts which helps to develop the supply and feed the demand. 

The more often I write this the more I think it is a simple problem, which should have a simple solution – a change of attitude and some encouragement from the top bods in the business. And older members of TMA will know that I have raised my head above this particular parapet more times than most. I have the wounds to show.  Now I think we have come up with a real simple workable first step – and its MTM:UK. Why – because its there to bring people who are already out there together – either to share (and solve) problems or to invent (and make things happen) or just to feel comfortable in this rather scary world. A cross between WI, Think Tank and Samaritans maybe.

This is not a learned article, but an introduction and a simple how to. The best way to share MTM:UK with you is to cover a few of the things which we have done in the last year.

• We realised there were a number of existing works by British writers that had either been produced professionally once or had got lost in the rush to find the next new thing. We invited directors and producers to nominate works that they would like to see re-surface for a second or further production. We presented a short evening of those works. We hope some of them would excite those present.  I’m delighted that WINDY CITY, one of the works uncovered, has just had a major revival in Philadelphia.  More to do – but it’s a start.  Second Productions was a good buzz word some years ago in funding applications, but I don’t think it elicited any support for musical theatre.
• We wanted to explore what workshops, new productions and openings were actually happening in musical theatre across the UK – so we started MUSICAL NOTES – a monthly digest of events and especially new works. It goes to all members and will, in time, form a core of the database growing on the web. The hope that emerging producers will keep MTM:UK up to speed on showcases and workshops, just as the SOLT clash diary helps deal with first nights.
• Two members decided we needed a showcase of new work that was ready to develop further – one offered a theatre for free, another produced the event with writers. The idea that each writer presents the work in the simplest way, but in a manner to move the piece along further for themselves. Upstairs at the Gatehouse became the home of PERFECT PITCH for two weeks produced by Andy Barnes.  12 new musicals were seen in repertoire and a number have moved forward to the next stage.  This complements other work being done by Greenwich Theatre with the Musical Futures we all helped Hilary Strong create some years ago, and the Global Search in Cardiff.
• We wanted to bring regional repertory houses together with emerging fringe producers to see whether this collaboration could help to give opportunities for new work. We have been delighted by the interest and collaborations which have grown out of these panel discussions, and informal chats.  We have also realised how much musical theatre there is out there – it is most definitely not a London-only artform.
• We have started a simple website, but have been advised to wait on a long-standing arts council application which could (and hopefully will) deliver a small development grant to help the site provide a full database of members. The aim is to help members connect, and to attract all those who are the musical theatre producers and creatives of the future.
• We have collaborated with Opera and Music Theatre Forum and Stellar Network for Media and TV, with the National Alliance fir Musical Theatre in New York, and with Mercury Musical Development in London.

But is there the talent? Is there the craft? Is there the passion for musical theatre in this country? The honest answer is yes & no.  Yes there are pockets of great craft, there are many enthusiasts, and there is a wealth of talent – but I think it is generally accepted that it is not yet focussed.  If I look at plays, I see a wealth of drama schools developing performing talent, a range of courses dedicated to the craft of writing, some magnificent opportunities for young people (and the rest of us) to try work, submit work, be judged. There are then a good selection of world class theatres and producers who dedicate themselves to new playwriting. We are the envy of the world for many of our opportunities. I am sure if I were knee deep in the new play sector I would be screaming as I read this – not enough – not enough – not enough. However at present there are no full time dedicated courses for musical theatre writers. There is no dedicated course you can do as a director, or any academic study at GCSE, A Level or degree level in musical theatre history, craft or future writing [as far as I know]. There is no Soho Theatre for musical theatre, Traverse for musical theatre, National Theatre for musical theatre or Welsh National Opera for musical theatre. So maybe in time MTM:UK, in collaboration with everyone who reads TMA News, and all those working in the Arts can make some of these things happen for musical theatre.  

I’m delighted to correct one item in the last paragraph – from September next year there will be a dedicated 2yr post-grad writing course in musical theatre. Started by Glasgow RSAMD it will complement the only other fulltime existing course in the world – at Tisch.  It is interesting also to see the development of the Goldsmiths musical producer/writer combined one year, and the plans of Central and University of Sussex for next year in new opera and music theatre writing.  So things may be changing at the academic end. [Editors note July 08: Sadly the Gasgow course got as far as a leaflet promoting it, and a full curriculum and study to put it in place. Then there was a change at the top, and the will to deliver the course drifted away.  A little like Groundhog Day Chris Grady and Donna Sotomoretini are dusting down their paperwork and starting discussions with another Academy all over again.]

Things have developed in 6-8 years – with Greenwich dedicating so much of its energy to musical theatre, with the birth of the Cardiff Festival of Musical Theatre, with the determination of one or two of the new rep artistic directors to make musical theatre at the heart of their programming. Things are moving forward – so what’s the problem. Well its all a bit bitty, and we are all having to spend valuable time persuading those who deal in the arts, that musical theatre is an artform which does dare to speak its name. If the TMA, together with the other bodies who champion theatre across the UK, could help a bit – that would be great. Back in 1992 I ran a small conference on musical theatre as part of the first Festival of Musicals at Buxton – a joint Buxton, SOLT, TMA, and NAMT in New York initiative – the result – a small gathering of a dozen people – every single one of which had an American accent.  Fifteen years later – it would be great to work with the TMA to try again. [By the way you may have missed it but two years ago you ran a joint TMA / NAMT conference in Cardiff, and the Americans who were there never actually met the TMA delegation in Cardiff…not sure what went wrong, but I met a load of the Americans after they had succeeded in being in the same city, the same building at the same time as TMA members, and not met any of the important people. Before they flew back to the US I was at least able to tell them who they’d missed …so hopefully business is now happening despite ships passing in the night.]

So MTM:UK exists, it’ll grow slowly as people hear about it, or it could take quite a leap forward if active members of TMA and those who champion the artform, wished to join us in a rather exciting, but rather haphazard journey. Maybe in 10 years time there will be no need for MTM:UK pushing for musical theatre in this country to be recognised. Maybe we will be able to look back at a wealth of new work by UK writers, in the mainstream of theatres across the UK, and influencing the writing in other countries around the world.  Maybe you, dear reader, can help to make that come true.

Our very big sister,  The National Alliance of Musical Theatre in New York, with 120 theatres in membership, started small, just like MTM:UK. Indeed in its first years it also met in London and tried to plot a shared vision – that was a very special weekend – it led to the launch of the Festival of New Musicals in New York, and the Festival of Musicals in Buxton.  The New York Festival has nurtured new work over its 15 year history. In the last 5 years 26 new works have been showcased and 15 of them have gone on to full production including the new THOUGHALLY MODERN MILLIE and the completely original DROWSY CHAMPERONE.  Buxton, lasted one season but did not have the political support to survive, and then it took 10 years to get to the next Festival of Musicals in the UK – in Cardiff now just completing its third season. 

Over the years NAMT and their members have come up with fascinating and innovative ways to offer opportunities for new writers to explore and refine their craft – and not just US writers, but people like George Stiles, Anthony Drewe, Paul Leigh and even your very own Paul James have had work presented at the Festival.  We look forward in future meetings of MTM:UK with members of NAMT to share many of these project schemes, and see how they could work with writers and producers here in the UK. We will do this work very closely with Mercury Musical Development who, under the continued leadership of Georgina Bexon, have tried year after year to source opportunities for new writers of UK musicals in this country. MTM:UK will work closely to support them in their endeavours – hopefully TMA will continue and increase its support.

So, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your time. Please take a moment to think about musical theatre. And help us to show that Musical Theatre Matters in the UK – as an artform, as a source of education, entertainment, debate and delight, and as an economic and valuable artistic business. 

With all good wishes

 

Chris Grady

Chair MTM:UK

CG Update July 08:  Its fascinating to reread this article and we have added just one note/correction abut courses.  So much has been achieved in such a short time. I still look forward to a true collaboration with the TMA, SOLT and ITC at a strategic level. Many members have expressed support, many staff express encouragement, but we’ve not yet [to my knowledge] got Musical Theatre development onto a Board agenda of any of these three organisations.  Maybe the second MTM:UK Conference on Musical Theatre will change that. I hope so.