Student Collaboration
‘We are passionate about cultivating and developing West Yorkshire based creatives and frequently work with a variety of institutions to direct and collaborate with students to create both original and existing works”
The following profiles some of the company's previous work with various educational institutions.
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.
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)
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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.
