Previous Work

The following profiles some of the company's previous works, mostly original, some extant.

The Unlikely Salvation of Xander Gibley

'The Unlikely Salvation of Xander Gibley'. Set in a high School, somewhere in America we are introduced to the complex yet compelling lives of a group of high school students, who, for one day only are off curriculum, 'It's Career Day'! The endlessly optimistic Xander Gibley hopes to prove that he is so much more than just a high school counsellor as he devotes the day to inspiring the students to make the most of their lives, only to find that it is his own salvation in question. The show is a heartfelt insight into complex world of Generation Z. ‘TUSOXG’ is poignant, hilarious and full of heart with infectious tunes and a punchy script.

Selkie (A Seal Woman)

Selkie (A Seal Woman) was a newly concieved one-act musical based on traditional folklore by David Coggins & Music by Paul Dale-Vickers was commissioned by Creative Wakefield and Wakefield Council to be featured at WordFest2021 and the wider Festival of the Earth. It was performed at WX (Wakefield’s former Market Hall) on Saturday the 30th October 2021 and was a free event. The show was 20 minutes in length was performed several times throughout day; it was very much a family show and was greatly received by the audience.

Network City -A reimaging of Brecht/Weill’s ‘The Rise & Fall of the City of Mahogany. Adaptation & Music by Paul Dale-Vickers, with additional music by Robyn Harrison-Taylor

We adapted and reimagined the lesser performed Brecht/Weill opera ‘The Rise & Fall of the City of Mahogany’. The original described as a political-satirical opera, explores some fundamental human questions such as; should money and materialism be placed above social well-being or civil responsibility? Is work a primitive necessity? should we succumb to the pull of hedonism and fun above responsibility (at least, that’s what we chose to derive from the text) So the network city is a place of polar opposites, not having money is a crime, work is a sin and philosophy is dangerous; basically, up is down, left is right. We didn’t choose any particular musical genre to tell the story, there was electronica, jazz, musical theatre and a bit of rap and in terms of dramatic style, we let anarchy dictate. We felt that the questions were as relevant as ever (as Brecht’s often are).

The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
& Other Stories, by Tim Burton

We devised and put together a unique theatrical experience adapting Tim Burton's dark collection of stories 'The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories'. The was performed at The Mechanics theatre in 2018 and involved live musicians, dancers, musical theatre performers and actors. The stories were brought to life and offered a unique perspective on the idea of misfits & outcasts.

Title of show

We produced the brilliant 'Title of Show’ a multiple-award winning Broadway hit which tells the story of two creative hopefuls, Hunter and Jeff who decide to write a completely original musical starring themselves and their two ‘cookie’ friends. Their musical, ‘Title of Show’ gets into the New York Musical Theatre Festival, and becomes a hit, or does it? Unique, hilarious, anarchic, infectious and very touching, ‘Title of Show’ was entertaining and unmissable. We put together a hugely talented cast of regional talent and the show was performed our production at the ‘Mechanics Theatre’ in Wakefield.

Shout (The Mod Musical)

With its irresistible blend of hip-swiveling hits, eye-popping fashions and outrageous dance moves, SHOUT! The Mod Musical takes audiences back to the music, style and freedom of the 1960s. SHOUT! features terrific new arrangements of such classic tunes as "To Sir with Love," "Downtown," "Son of a Preacher Man" and "Goldfinger." The review follows five groovy gals as they come of age during those glorious days that made England swing. Traveling in time from 1960 to 1970, SHOUT! chronicles the dawning liberation of women, from the rise of Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark and Cilla Black as independent women with major careers, to their American counterparts, redefining themselves in the face of changing attitudes about gender. With a shimmy and shake, the songs are tied together by hilarious sound bites from the period.

The Little Angel

‘The Little Angel’ is a one act musical based on a short story by Russian writer Leonind Andreyev which tells the story of Sashka, a troubled boy with seemingly nothing to live for. His parents are violent, selfish and unsympathetic, it seems like Sashka’s life is spiralling out of control until one profound evening he sees ‘The Little Angel’ hanging on the Christmas tree and his life is inexplicably changed forever. It is moving, funny and full of heart. This is the premiere of the show with further shows planned later in the year. The Little Angel was performed at the Great Yorkshire Fringe, Kings Arms, Manchester, The Hen & Chickens, London and Mechanics in Wakefield to rave reviews.

★★★★ “A profound narrative is told through this poignant and punchy production” Londontheatre1
★★★★ “Powerful, haunting, innovative new musical theatre” Remotegoat

De Profundis

After winning the inaugural 2014 New Musical Theatre Award, Leicester Square Theatre and receiving critical acclaim, We then produced the show as a company. Paul has performed the show at The Great Yorkshire Fringe, Shangai International Festival, Cast in Doncaster and Mechanics and continues to perform the show. De Profundis is a musical monologue, a dramatisation of the letter Oscar Wilde wrote to his long-term lover Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie ) from his prison cell in Reading Jail. De Profundis, which roughly translates as ‘the depths of the soul’, is a deeply confessional letter, which has a very clear emotional, philosophical and rational arc. In the letter, he discusses the value of sorrow in relation to the value of love; he demonstrates a huge capacity for forgiveness and articulates beautifully the need for love in times of crisis. We witness Wilde’s distorted perception of time, his imaginary encounters with Bosie and his cathartic journey of creativity as he recreates the past in order to find ways of articulating his feelings in the present.

★★★★(★)“De Profundis is an experience which should not be missed. It was impossible not to have one’s emotions wrenched by this production." Playstosee

★★★★★“This is one of the great musicals of the century and it is played with such intensity that the hour seems to pass by like ten minutes. 5 stars "and I wish I could give it more!” Remotegoat

★★★★“De Profundis is new writing with upmost integrity and class." Broadwaybaby

"At turns oppressive and yet vividly romantic, Dale Vickers’ music flows seamlessly through the narrative, echoing the sorrow of Wilde’s incarceration. Vickers’ poignant score makes this musical soliloquy a tour de force".THE STAGE