MEMBERS' SUMMER ACTIVITIES

JASON CARR (Facilitator) wrote the score for the production of George Bernard Shaw's 'Heartbreak House', currently running at the Chichester Festival Theatre.

TIM SUTTON (Facilitator/composer) and Ian McMillan (writer/ non-BML member) created 'Cycle Song' performed at the Brumby Hall Grounds in Scunthorpe on 14/15 July with a community cast of over 1,200.

'White Suit' by HELEN CHADWICK (composer) and CARL MILLER (librettist) was performed by the Helen Chadwick Song Theatre at the Greenwich + Docklands International Festival on 23/24 June, and at the Stockton International Arts Festival on 4/5 August. It will be performed again at the Mintfest in Kendal from 31 August through 2 September.

After a two week developmental workshop, 'The Salsa Sisters' was presented by YMT at the Barbican in Plymouth on 14/15 August. The creative team is LINDA WALTON (librettist), Tarek Merchant (composer-lyricist/ non-BML member), Stephen Dexter (director) and Miriam Faura (choreographer). Linda first developed the project in the BML Librettist workshop and then pitched it to YMT director John Bromwich after meeting him at a BML workshop.

'Love Bytes: A Virtual Romance' by TAMSIN COLLISON (lyricist) and Cheryl Frances Hoad (composer/ non-BML member), commissioned by the 2012 Tete a Tete Festival, had its first performance at the Riverside Studios on 9 August. It will be developed and continue performances through 19 August.

'Mass Carib' by FELIX CROSS (composer-lyricist), first performed in 1987, will have a special performance, re-scored by Felix for a steel band, on 22 August at the Trinidad and Tobago Cultural Village at the Tricycle Theatre, London, to mark the 50th anniversary of independence for Trinidad & Tobago. Admission is free but tickets must be booked: http://trinbagovillage.com/events/classical-concert-3

CLASS PICNIC

We held a picnic for all the BML members on Saturday, 21 July, to mark the end of the spring term. It was held in the gardens St. Matthew's Parish Vicarage in Bethnel Green, and hosted by BML member ADEY GRUMMET. And the weather held!

FELIX CROSS AWARED MBE

Belated congratulations to FELIX CROSS, who was awarded and MBE for services to musical theatre in the most recent Queen's Birthday Honours List. After an extensive career in musical theatre, he became the Artistic Director of NITRO in 1996. He has been a loyal and dedicated member of BML since its inception in 2010, firstly as a librettist and now as a composer/ lyricist as well. He is also currently under commission at the Royal National Theatre to create a musical (which he is developing in the BML second year composer/ lyricist workshop). It will be tried out in their Studio in the autumn.

A Song Cycle for Soho

The MMD 'A Song Cycle for Soho' will be performed all next week at the Soho Theatre Company, and BML members TIM SUTTON (workshop facilitator), CHRIS ASH, ANDREW BRINDED and CARL MILLER all have work in the review.

Please come along if you can. Check the Soho website (http://sohotheatre.com/whats-on/soho-song-cycle) for tickets.

Bateman and Evans win Iris Theatre 'Workin Progress' Award

BML composer LUKE BATEMAN and Mary Evans (non-member) won the Iris Theatre: Workin Progress Musical Theatre Award 2012  last night at St. Paul's Church for their song 'My Sexual'. Other BML writers with work in the competition were KATY DARBY, NOAM GALPERIN, BLANCHE GIROUARD, CARL MILLER and JAY RICHARDS. The judging panel was made up of Michael Bruce, Louise Gold, Simon Greiff, Nigel Lilley and Tom Sutton.

Moon on a Rainbow Shawl

Felix Cross (BML composer/ librettist) has been commissioned by the National Theatre and is writing the score for Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, a new play by Errol John, directed by Michael Buffong. It will be performed at the Cottesloe Theatre, with previews beginning 7 March and press night on 14 March.

The Whore's Asylum

The Whore's Asylum, a new novel by Katy Darby (BML librettist) was launched last week, published by Penguin. It's now available in fine bookstores everywhere. Take a look.