The Hazlitt Arts Centre and Perfect Pitch showcased 3 new musicals at the Trafalgar Studios in London!

We are now approaching the end of our first year of working with Perfect Pitch Musicals and it’s been a really exciting year.

Musicals are one of the most popular entertainment events in the UK and contribute enormously to the national economy, however, very little money goes into giving new composers and writers the chance to hone their skills and create new work. It seemed obvious to us that musicals would need some proper investment if the nation and more importantly the people of Maidstone weren’t all going to be watching endless revivals and American imports a few years down the line, after all we can’t expect poor old Lord ALW to keep churning them out ad nauseum. Equally we knew that we weren’t in a position to offer enormous sums of money, so, with the plans for the emerging Hazlitt Arts Centre well under way we decided to contact Andy Barnes of Perfect Pitch who was thinking along very similar lines, and offer space and staffing support to new composers and writers.

Perfect Pitch was started by producer Andy Barnes, in 2006 to develop new musicals and to support new composers and writers in getting their work shown. The first showcase took place over a week in a pub in Highgate and showcased 12 new works. One of which, ‘Departure Lounge’ has gone onto a West End Season and a very successful run in Edinburgh this summer - It actually made money – virtually unheard of for an Edinburgh show!! In 2007 the Arts Council came on board and gave some grant funding for the showcase and the development partnerships, the 2007 showcase was equally well received and the decision was taken in 2008 to move the showcase to the centre of the West End to the Trafalgar Studios and to limit the number of shows to 6 and allow them 45 minutes of a semi staged work as opposed to the 20 minutes of previous years.  In the three years of the Perfect Pitch showcase more and more industry professionals have shown their support and scouts from the Really Useful Group, Cameron Mackintosh and David Ian were all present at the 2008 showcase. We have also had the support of the performing professionals, with performances by many West End regulars, Julie Atherton, Sally Ann Triplett and Simon Gleeson to name but 3.

Between us we have formed a development partnership which means that for two weeks of this year the Exchange Studio was given over to a production team to work on some new work, ultimately we are aiming to get the show into the London showcase but that all depends on the show we are developing. This year we have worked on 3 with 3 different composing and writing teams.

In May we were really pleased to start this project with composer Laurence Mark Wythe, he had previously had success with Tomorrow Morning which played the Hampstead Theatre and is currently enjoying a run in Chicago. He and his writing partner, Judy Freed, wanted to do some work on a piece called Through the Door which tells the story of a young American couple whose marriage is feeling the strain of the husbands very heavy work demands. One day Charlotte walks into her pantry only to find herself thrown into 17th century France and the arms of a genuine French prince, all goes well with her double life until one day suddenly sacked husband Lenny returns early and falls through the same time rip………curtain………end of act 1! The week in May afforded us to really work on the script and subsequent reworkings and readings meant that the show was ready to take its place in the November showcase.

After much discussion we decided that as the second week in November was so close to the showcase we would work on 2 musicals that could go from us straight into rehearsals. First up was Lift with music and lyrics by Craig Adams and book by Ian Watson. Its set in – a lift – actually Covent Garden lift, where the same 8 people are confined for 54 seconds every working day. Some know one another, others wish they did and others fantasise of what might have been. It’s a really interesting show and when it appeared in the showcase we called it our Marmite show – you either loved it or hated it, I was firmly in the first camp and I think this young composer has enormous potential and I’m really looking forward to hearing more of his work. Our second show was from the wunderkind of musical theatre, Matt Brind. Matt has penned at least 3 full scale musicals, is currently touring with John Barrowman for whom he has done several arrangements for his new album all this at the tender age of 26! In ‘Can You Keep A Secret’ a small family of Mum, a widow, and 2 daughters arrive in a new town, keen to make friends and settle down but reluctant to reveal too much about their past. Young Naomi often takes refuge in a fantasy world where she is guarding the Phoenix and mixing with superheroes. As the story unfolds the darkness of their past and the effect it has had on all of them is gradually revealed – we were lucky enough to have Sally Ann Triplett join us for this show who is well known for her appearances in Anything Goes, Grease and Follies. You can hear clips from these three musicals plus the other shows at www.perfectpitchmusicals.com

Next year we are already planning to further develop this partnership. This development will not be limited to the two weeks of workshopping , we will be having a South East pitching day where people from the South East area can come and bring us their musical ideas and stories. Some question and answer sessions with some of the musical professionals we are working with and a Hazlitt supported evening at the 2009 showcase where one of our pieces will be performed. I’m sure other things will evolve as the year goes on.

I hope you have found it interesting to hear what we have been up to behind the scenes and I’m confident that one day we will all be hopping on a Hazlitt Theatre Trip coach to see a show that has achieved its success through this partnership and your support.