The Turbine Theatre’s artistic director Paul Taylor-Mills has announced the diverse line-up of new musicals selected for MTFestUK 2022.
Running from 31 January until 12 February 2022 at the popular venue on the banks of the Thames in Battersea, the fourth instalment in the annual celebration of new musical theatre will feature eight semi-staged productions.
The line-up for MTFestUK 2022 will include: Sam Thomas’ new song cycle No Limits; Halls by Jennifer Harrison and George Stroud; Wuthering Heights – The Musical, Emily Brontë’s classic story re-imagined by Lizzie Lister, Mick Lister and Clare Lonsdale; Annabelle Lee’s feminist musical inspired by the story of singer and suffragette Kitty Marion, Train On Fire; Gigglemug Theatre’s online gaming-themed RuneSical, Father/Son by Nick Butcher and Fraser Watt – an exploration of the relationship between a successful musician father and his songwriter son; Shirlie Roden’s rock opera, Jeanne, the story of Joan of Arc; and Queeros – a celebration of some of history’s iconic queer heroes featuring a book by Victoria Bush and Laura Checkley, music by Leo and Hyde and based on an original idea conceived by Taylor-Mills.
Inviting writers to apply for a coveted slot at musical theatre showcase earlier this year, Taylor-Mills said: “I’m tremendously proud that our festival celebrating all things musical theatre is back for its fourth outing. We will be returning to The Turbine Theatre at the iconic Battersea Power Station (with a newly opened tube on our doorstep) in 2022. If you have a musical that could benefit from a workshop presentation, we want to hear from you.
“It’s thrilling to see that the process of exercising musicals in this way to get them into production is paying off. Next year I will present three musicals that started life at MTFestUK. There are also several other musicals that were part of the MTFestUK family that will be going into production with other producers and venues.
“As we rise again from the last year there is a tremendous sense of optimism in the air for the development of new work in this country. To play a small part in that movement is an honour. I would like to formally take this opportunity to thank everybody who has been part of previous MTFestUKs. Making musicals can be complicated, expensive and thrilling. It doesn’t happen without a huge amount of goodwill, collaboration, trust, and the generosity of artists and audiences. Here’s to smashing 2022 and beyond!”
Launched by Taylor-Mills in late 2018 as a showcase for new work by both emerging and established writers, the inaugural season of MTFestUK season was staged at The Other Palace in 2019 where he was then ensconced as artistic director, with the second and third seasons moving to the leading independent producer and artistic director’s new venue The Turbine Theatre. Earlier this year Taylor-Mills returned as The Other Palace artistic director after the theatre was purchased by his Turbine Theatre-partner Bill Kenwright.
Angela Thomas
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