ARRANGER
ANNIE
I have been the Musical Supervisor for the professional UK tours since 2002 and have re-arranged the show twice in that period. In 2007 I re-did the seven piece arrangements which the composer Charles Strouse heard and remarked they were "new and vibrant, whilst not taking away from the original score". Annie has gone through many casts but Su Pollard as Miss Hannagan was a treat! The show has recently been to the Far East; Hong Kong and Singapore and New Zealand. For this version I have written brand new nine piece arrangements of which I am particularly proud of.
9 TO 5
Dolly Parton wrote a brand new score for her muscial based on the 70's film but boasting the hit songs "9 to 5" and "Backwards Barbie". The show originally opened on Broadway but when it was decided that it should tour the UK I was brought in to arrange it and we decided to do it with seven musicians. It was a hard show as Dolly kept her roots of country music but added a swing number plus a couple of more traditional muscial theatre songs as well as a big gospel number too. The show toured the UK and Ireland for a year to great critical acclaim and we still hope it will transfer to London at some point. The UK cast included Natalie Casey, Ben Richards, Mark Monaghan, Jackie Clune and Bonnie Langford. Probably one of my proudest moments was being the first person to arrange a newly written song Dolly had written for the new version of the show we were doing. I am told I did her proud!!!
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2
It is not everyday Disney ask you to arrange the music for their brand new stage show but when they decided to follow up the huge hit HSM had been at The Hammersmith Apollo and as a UK Tour for which I was the Musical Director I was asked to do the job.
They asked me to make sure the score, wfitten for ten in the band reflected the up to date pop music used for the movies but had the excitment of a live event. Steve Frickenger, the then Head of Disney loved what I did.
We did a "Search for Troy" on Lorraine Kelly Live which Liam Doyle won and the show sold to sell out audiences around the UK and Europe. The cast also included Les Dennis. I hope I get to do more shows for Disney......
Here is a taste of other professional shows I have also arranged -
- Little Shop of Horrors
- Footloose
- Our House
- Sin and Salvation
- Teen Scream
- Legally Blonde
- The Snow Gorilla
- Hello Dolly
- Oliver
- RTT Forbidden Planet
- Grease
- Jolson
- Several Pantomimes
- MANY MANY MORE...
COMPOSER
I have been writing since I was a boy and have written for many styles from Pop to Musical Theatre and written for film, TV, theatre and radio.
THE SOUND OF MUSICALS was a TV show I was very proud to be a part of. As well as being associate MD and being principal arranger I also wrote the opening credits.
Other shows I have composed for include:
- Dating Hell (Sky 1)
- National Lottery (BBC 1)
- Beauty and the Beast
- Phantom of the P'Opera
- Y Trap
- Teen Scream
- Several Pantomimes
I was asked to write all incidental music for a dating show for MTV/Channel 5 called SINGLED OUT which ran for several series.
Polka Dot Shorts and Wheels on the Bus were massive childrens hits on TV and when it was decided to put it on the stage I was asked to write the music for the shows.
Polka Dot Shorts did 7 tours and Wheels on the Bus 4; I really tried to be contemporary but all songs were hopefully catchy and also, very importantly had an educational element.
NEWS
Recently I was Musical Director of the West End show DANCE TIL DAWN for which I wrote some of the vocal arrangements and underscores.
THE
PRESTIGE
THE PRESTIGE
Opening London in the autumn of 2014 I will be composing a new through score for a brand new play based on the book and the film of the same name written by the original writer Christopher Nolan