by Paul Johnson | Jul 27, 2021
Heart of Hammersmith company members in rehearsals. Photo: Nahwand Jaff
By Su-Ann Chow-Seegoolam
Heart of Hammersmith is the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s first large-scale community play celebrating true stories of West London with a cast of over forty local people, aged from 11–88 years.
Full casting has now been announced with participants from the adult Community Chorus, Young Lyric Partner Chorus and Amici Dance Theatre Company joining the previously announced Lyric Community Company.
The production will be running in the Lyric Theatre’s Main House from Thursday, 12 to Saturday, 14 August.
Heart of Hammersmith is written and created by Nicholai La Barrie with The Lyric Community Company, directed by Eva Sampson with Alex Hurst with set and design by Charlotte Espiner, lighting design by Shaun Parry, sound design by Lorna Munden and choreography by Diane Alison-Mitchell.
The new show celebrates West London stories past and present. The production started rehearsals in January during Lockdown via Zoom with the Lyric Community Company’s 17 young members, aged 18-25. The production has been developed throughout the year and now brings together a cast of over 40 West Londoners, including an Adult Community Chorus, aged 30-88 years; the Amici Dance Theatre Company of disabled and non- disabled performers aged from 20-70 years; and a Young Lyric Partner’s Chorus, aged 11-18 years.
From lives lived to lives lost, lives forced out and lives brought together, Heart of Hammersmith celebrates West London through all of its hardships and triumphs and the vibrant individuals who make it what it is. Inspired by true stories from West London, the play tracks immigrant arrivals, million-pound homes and social housing sitting side by side, the rise of gentrification and the shadows left by the Grenfell tragedy, the changing of attitudes, facing of tragedies and the rallying of a resilient community. Heart of Hammersmith tells the story of Dieppe Street, a street from West London’s past, and a place that today unites us.
The performances will be socially distanced in line with See It Safely industry-approved guidelines and all tickets are £10 available at www.lyric.co.uk .
The adult Community Chorus includes Colm Gallagher, Patricia Mantuano, Denise Clarke-Williams and Nutun Ahmed in speaking roles and Alessio Bagiardi, Francis Cherry, Margaret Cramp, Isobel Leaviss, James Mcauley, Binita Patel, Lizzie Popoff, Priya Narayan, Pauline Singh, Anne-Marie Wedderburn, Jamie Woodard, Donna Wright and Faisal Yusuf.
Amici Dance Theatre Company is a unique dance theatre company integrating non-disabled & disabled artists and performers. The Amici Company includes: John Athnasious, Stuart Cowie, Ekeama Henry-Ferrazzi , Nicolas Serial, Wilma Serial and Delson Weeks.
The children’s Partner Chorus includes: Amaiya Coleman, Luka Jankovick, Nikolas Obradovic, Agnes Suckling, Imiya Summers and Alyssia Tachie-Menson in collaboration with the Young Lyric Partner Organisations Action on Disability, Amici Dance Theatre Company, New English Ballet Theatre, Tri-Borough Music Hub, Turtle Key Arts and Zoo Nation Academy of Dance.
Working together with Nicholai La Barrie (Tina – The Tina Turner Musical Resident Director), the script has been created with The Lyric Community Company, aged 18-25, from West London. They are Gehna Badhwar, Eva Bate, Wes Bozonga, Ömer Cem Çoltu, Tom Claxton, Kitty Cockram, James Douglas-Quarcoopome, Harry Drane, Harri-Rose Hudson, Lex MacQuire, Ella McCallum, Ele McKenzie, Alfie Neill, Priyanka Patel, Danielle Tama, Wilf Walsworth, Aliyah Yanguba.
Website: www.lyric.co.uk
Twitter: @LyricHammer
Instagram: /LyricHammersmith
Facebook: /LyricHammersmith
by Paul Johnson | May 31, 2021
Music Theatre International (MTI) – A Global Event Celebrating Local Theatre
By PAUL JOHNSON
Theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI) has announced updates to All Together Now!: A Global Event Celebrating Local Theatre.
The event means that schools and theatres around the world will be empowered to produce and perform locally an exclusive musical revue featuring songs from MTI’s beloved shows from 12-15 November 2021.
MTI’s All Together Now! will be entirely free-of-charge to license with no royalty or rental fees.
Participating organisations may license MTI’s All Together Now! as a fundraiser for their theatre and perform it live, streamed, or a combination of both over a long four-day period in November 2021.
A long list of renowned MTI authors, their estates and rightsholders are contributing songs from their iconic musicals to the revue including:
- Stephen Schwartz
- Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty
- Cameron Mackintosh
- Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg & Herbert Kretzmer
- Disney Theatrical Group
- Frank Loesser
- Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe
- Tim Minchin
- Jonathan Larson
- Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman
- Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley
- Frank Wildhorn
- Charles Strouse & Martin Charnin
- Marcy Heisler & Zina Goldrich
- …plus many more to be announced.
“None of this would be possible without the support of the authors we represent,” stated MTI’s President and CEO, Drew Cohen. “We are fortunate that so many of these composers, lyricists and rightsholders are embracing the idea of All Together Now!. I know that theatres around the world are eager to see the full list of songs featured in this new revue and we are working hard behind the scenes to create a memorable and inspiring show. We will be making more announcements in the very near future, but we encourage everyone to visit the event website as authors and their songs are added.”
The brand-new musical revue is being put together by a renowned creative team that includes librettist Timothy Allen McDonald (James and the Giant Peach, Between the Lines, Breathe!); director, choreographer and Associate Artistic Director of the York Theatre, Gerry McIntyre (Berkshire Theatre Group’s Godspell, The York’s Hallelujah, Baby!); director and choreographer, Racky Plews (American Idiot, Thoroughly Modern Millie); director Jeff Calhoun (9 to 5, Disney’s Newsies on Broadway); and MTI’s COO and Director of Education & Development, John Prignano.
“One of our goals in creating this revue is to not only showcase some of the most beloved songs in the musical theatre catalogue, but to also allow local theatres to make this show their own,” said the members of the creative team. “We’re dividing the revue into sections where we hope to have a couple of different approved song options. We are also creating different moments in the script where organisations can feature remarks from their leadership, local luminaries and public officials. The idea is for every group to put their own stamp on All Together Now! so it resonates with their audiences.”
“I’ve been blown away by the response from theatres so far,” said John Prignano. “Many theatrical organisations across the globe have already expressed their enthusiasm for the event and committed to performing the revue in their communities. Unlike some of our shows that may have geographical licensing restrictions, we hope that if there are multiple theatres in a certain area that they get together, pool their resources and potentially perform the revue as a fundraiser for all the groups involved. That’s one of the reasons the show is only available for performance from 12 – 15 November; we want everyone to experience the magic of musical theatre together as a community.”
“We really want to help everyone who makes theatre and everyone who loves theatre to celebrate theatre’s return together,” said Seán Gray, Managing Director, MTI Europe. “We want to remind the world of the communal happiness we generate through sharing the fruits of our passion on a stage and in an auditorium. We hope that this will be a wonderful way for us all to sing to the world as we have never sung before: we are back!”
In the UK, a passion for a return to live theatre is running high. Pamela Mackie of Dunblane’s Rubber Chicken Theatre in Scotland said: “We’ve kept really busy theatrically over lockdown – virtual shows, online rehearsals, remotely filmed showpieces etc. etc. etc. but there is nothing in the world that compares with coming together, live on stage to rehearse and perform musical theatre. To have the chance to celebrate the return of musical theatre not only with each other and our audience locally, but with our theatre family across Scotland, the UK and the world is just incredible.
“To give our performers young and old the chance to be a part of such amazing songs and musicals, and to know that so many people driven by the same passion for theatre are performing the same songs at the same time, will be a special moment. We can’t wait.”
Gary Redpath of the Belfast Operatic Society and AIMS Northern Region Chairman in Northern Ireland also can’t wait to get in on the act.
“Committees all across the province are taking brave decisions in order to get non-professional performers back to doing what they love. Through lockdown, music has been proven to provide a welcome release for participants’ mental health.
“Incentives like MTI’s All Together Now! will help to restore confidence in the performing arts and events industry for audiences in a post-Covid world, helping to kickstart the industry. As performance rights are being provided free of charge, committees are able to participate at a reduced risk to themselves, allowing more societies to get involved in what will be a landmark weekend for the performing arts.”
Further details on licensing and how groups can participate in this worldwide event will be announced in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, please visit www.alltogethernowmti.co.uk for a list of FAQs, an email sign-up and more. www.mtishows.co.uk
by Paul Johnson | May 31, 2021
First ever large-scale community play from Lyric Hammersmith (in its 125-year history) celebrates the stories of West London and will take over the main house this August.
By Su-Ann Chow-Seegoolam
The show brings together a cast of over forty West Londoners, including seventeen young members, aged 18-25, made up of first-time actors, a secondary school teacher, drag artist, call centre worker, students, new graduates and community volunteers.
Written and created by Nicholai La Barrie with The Lyric Community Company and directed by Eva Sampson with Alex Hurst, Heart of Hammersmith celebrates West London stories past and present.
The production will also feature a community chorus from Young Lyric partner organisations. The show will run from 12 – 14 August with socially distanced seating. Tickets are £10 and are onsale now at www.lyric.co.uk.
The Lyric Community Company’s members, who started rehearsals online during the pandemic, are: Gehna Badhwar, Eva Bate, Wes Bozonga, Ömer Cem Çoltu, Tom Claxton, Kitty Cockram, James Douglas-Quarcoopome, Harry Drane, Harri-Rose Hudson, Lex MacQuire, Ella McCallum, Ele McKenzie, Alfie Neill, Priyanka Patel, Danielle Tama, Wilf Walsworth and Aliyah Yanguba.
The Young Lyric partner organisations, collaborating on the show, are: Action on Disability, Amici Dance Company New English Ballet Theatre, Turtle Key Arts, Tri-Borough Music Hub and Zoo Nation Academy of Dance.
Heart of Hammersmith tells intergenerational stories of the people, places, sights and sounds of the West London area. From lives lived to lives lost, lives forced out and lives brought together, it celebrates the area through all of its hardships and triumphs and the vibrant individuals who make it what it is.
Inspired by true stories, the play tracks immigrant arrivals, million-pound homes and social housing sitting side by side, the rise of gentrification and the shadows left by the Grenfell tragedy, the changing of attitudes, facing of tragedies and the rallying of a resilient community.
The show is set on Dieppe Street, a street from West London’s past that today unites us.
As part of the Lyric Community Company, the Lyric is has cast adults from West London to perform in the August production. The mix of speaking and non-speaking roles means that people with no previous acting experience are featured. Adults aged 25+ who live in West London and are passionate about the community have been chosen to take part in the production.
Also, residents and workers across Hammersmith & Fulham will share their memories of the area in Your Hammersmith Story which will see selected stories featured in a new podcast from the Lyric.
Rob Lehmann, Director of Young Lyric said: “We’ve loved hearing from our community members for Heart of Hammersmith, and now we want to invite residents and workers from Hammersmith & Fulham to share their memories with us as part of Your Hammersmith Story. What does Hammersmith mean to you? It could be a story from your first visit, a special occasion, celebrating a local hero, your favourite places to visit, anecdotes from your time here, you name it.”
It’s not known when the cut-off date might be but, as we went to press, anybody interested in submitting a story could go to: lyric.co.uk/ our-home/your-hammersmith-story and download a form and in person from the box office and from various local businesses in the area.
Selected individuals will be invited to tell their story in the new podcast.
Website: lyric.co.uk
Twitter: @LyricHammer
Instagram: /LyricHammersmith
Facebook: /LyricHammersmith
