Which should comes first – the show or the title?
When I recently sat down to write an original piece of children’s theatre, I knew that I had an uphill battle on my hands. Why? Because almost all commercially successful theatrical productions these days are adaptations of existing well-known material. Usually a book or a film.
In support of this belief is the current gossip that Tim Minchin (composer and lyricist of Matilda) has been warned off attempting an entirely original work by the likes of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim!
No doubt this is complete tittle-tattle. Here is dramatic reconstruction of their fictional conversation:
Nighttime. Interior of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s boudoir. A phone rings and waking from fitful slumber, ALW wearily answers.
SS: Andrew? Steve Sondheim here.
ALW: Steve it’s the middle of the night!
SS: We need to talk to about Tim.
ALW: Tim Rice? What’s he done now!?
SS: No Tim Minchin. I’ve heard he wants to write an original musical.
Sharp intake of breath from ALW. He switches on the bedside light.
ALW: You mean like a completely original piece. Not based on ANYTHING?
SS: Yep.
ALW: I knew he was eccentric with all that bare footed piano playing nonsense – but he must be completely bonkers!
SS: Now I know you and me are oceans apart…
ALW: Yes, you live in American and I live in Britain…
SS: I mean artistically Andy. However, at times like this succesful musical theatre composers – and I use the term loosely in your case Andy – need to stand together and give sound advice to the future generation.
ALW: (ignoring the insult) I suppose so…
SS: He’ll listen to you Andy because Australians have a grudging respect for the British.
ALW: But what should I tell him?
SS: Try and put him off. Tell him the world has changed – writing an original musical is commerical suicide. He needs to adapt something people have heard of or it will bomb at the box office.
ALW: Have you any suggestions?
SS: Well I was thinking that…Oh no, you don’t catch me out that easily fella! Come up with your own ideas for adaptations!
ALW: Okay, I’ll see what I can do – these kids are all the same – think they can change the world with…ideas.
SS: And Andy, if he does insist on this crazy crusade for originality – at least tell him not to put any of his own money into it, or he’ll end up as broke as Lionel Bart”.
They both laugh a lot. ALW hangs up and redials Tim Minchin’s number. We cut to Tim who is sat in the bath painting his toenails… etc, etc, ad infinitum.
For my own part, I hope that Tim Minchen sets to work on an original musical straight away. I’ll be going to see it at any rate, so there’s one ticket sold right there.
In the past, in my own low-budget way I’ve enormously enjoyed adaptating and composing music for a number of well-known children’s shows including Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, James and the Giant Peach and The Wind in the Willows. However, I too, like many foolish writers before me, have felt the need to write something original ‘from scratch’.
But here’s the problem. When you come to sell or promote a new piece of theatre, all you have to go on is the name of the show. When the word ‘Moginogi‘ popped into my head one day about two years ago (I was in the bath painting my toenails at the time) I knew that I might potentially have a name that would get sufficient interest to drum up an audience.’Moginogi‘ has turned into a family musical about Cats and Dogs living in the mythical world of Catatonia. Like all the best children’s shows it tackles a broad range of issues including prejudice, cultural identity, and how stories are told and evolve. There’s also quite a lot of jokes about dog poo. So there really is someting for everyone!
It’s due to have its premiere in July in a run of open-air performances at The Museum of Welsh Life in St Fagans and is directed by the fabulously talented Richard Tunley.
The performances are all for groups from South Wales Primary Schools. We’ve already sold more than 2000 tickets, but if you’d like to come along, either as an interested individual or with a group, please subscribe to my blog and drop me a line.
Moginogi will also be available for performance by other companies from later this year.
Best wishes
Tim
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