Last week our team took a trip to London to see the rehearsals of our brand new musical, The Land of Might-Have-Been. Set in the long hot summer of 1914 in Buxton, it follows four young people and their love denied, in the summer before the First World War.
It is loosely inspired by the early life of Vera Brittain, a pacifist and feminist who was ahead of her time. Audrey Brisson plays this lead role. You may recognise her from the title role in Amélie the Musical for which she was nominated Best Actress in a Musical for Olivier Awards 2020.
George Arvidson plays Edward Brittain, Vera’s brother, who courts death rather than face being court marshalled for his sexuality. His numerous West End appearances include Les Misérables, Evita and Carousel.
Alexander Knox plays Roland Leighton, Vera’s fiancé and the romantic poet of the group, and a match for the spirited Vera. He has appeared in A Merchant of Venice (Playground Theatre) The Tempest, Henry V, (Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre York) and the film, Music, War and Love.
Kit Esuroso plays Bobbie, Vera’s friend and Edward’s secret lover. Kit recently won Best Actor for his role in AKONI for the Australian Screen and Industry Network Awards. He is also known for his role in Bonnie and Clyde the Musical
In the first act we see the four at a high society ball, and Vera’s mother trying to find her a match. The dance routines are amazing, and had us wanting to join in! In the morning we watched choreographer, Micha Meazza work with the cast on the dances, which include the Buxton Ragtime Band and the Glo-Glo.
In the second act, the war reaches England and we see its devastating impact on the lives of our four young people.
We were privileged to watch the first full run through of the show, directed by Kimberley Sykes. It was particularly interesting to watch how they plan out the scene and prop changes and who carries what.
Dec Matwij, Norwich Theatre’s Head of AV has designed the sound for the musical. On watching the rehearsal he told us:
“Working on the show so far has been such a great process. To see a piece in creation with a very talented cast and creative team is something you don’t see very often. The rehearsals brought tears to my eyes. I sat there in the rehearsal room and had the same feeling as when I first watched Les Misérables!”
The soundtrack uses Ivor Novello’s songs, including My Dearest Dear, Waltz of My Heart, We’ll Gather Lilacs and Why Is There Ever Goodbye, for the Northern Chamber Orchestra. They have been arranged by Iain Farrington who has made them feel relevant and with a modern musical theatre touch. They are conducted by Iwan Davies.
The energy and passion last week was incredible. The feeling in the room was that this is a very special musical, and we believe it could genuinely become the next big thing. It opens in Buxton next week and is coming to Norwich Theatre Royal from Tuesday 25 July.
“This gorgeous new musical is one to indulge in! It’s beautiful, funny, clever and the singing is sublime. I was right there in the hot summer, partying with these four friends, as they were discovering love and their own power. Such a moving story too, I adored it!”
Rebecca Lyon, Head of Media and Communications at Norwich Theatre.
We know that it can be a big ask to take a chance on a new musical, but seeing the rehearsals in action, we know this is one not to be missed.
Cast
Audrey Brisson Vera Brittain
Alexander Knox Roland Leighton
George Arvidson Edward Brittain
Kit Esuruoso Bobbie Jones
Other roles are played by Stuart Pendred, Bernadine Pritchett, Elin Davies, Julie Teal, Boaz Chad, Richard Woodall, Helen Maree, Julia Mariko, Tobias Camposs Antinaque and Charlie St John.
Creatives Team
Michael Williams Book and Lyrics
Adrian Kelly Artistic Director
Kimberley Sykes Director
Iwan Davies Conductor
Iain Farrington Music arranged with additional composition
Nicky Shaw Set and Costume Designer
Micha Meazza Choreographer
Jake Wiltshire Lighting Designer
Andrew Lynford Casting Director
Declan Matwij Sound Designer
Northern Chamber Orchestra
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