A host of West End stars have been enlisted to perform the shortlist of 15 compositions in the running for the 2020 Stiles + Drewe Best New Song Prize in a virtual concert to be streamed online next Sunday (5 July 2020).
With musical direction by Steve Ridley, the songs will be performed by: Allyson Ava-Brown (Hamilton), Luke Bayer (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Lizzie Bea (Hairspray), Louise Dearman (Wicked), Fra Fee (The Ferryman), Tyrone Huntley (Jesus Christ Superstar), Melanie La Barrie (& Juliet), Natalie Paris (Six), Laura Pitt-Pulford (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), Maiya Quansah-Breed (Six), Lauren Samuels (Bend It Like Beckham), Zizi Strallen (Mary Poppins), Alex Thomas-Smith (Dear Evan Hansen), Rebecca Trehearn (Show Boat) and Marisha Wallace (Dreamgirls).
Recorded by each singer in isolation, the videos which have been produced by Bartek Podkowa and mix engineer Kevin Porée will be presented as a virtual concert with the winning song announced in the online ceremony.
Announcing the virtual version of their prestigious prize, Olivier Award-winners George Stiles and Anthony Drewe said: “Together with our fellow judges, to whom we are deeply indebted, we have whittled down this year’s 167 entries to 15 finalists – each of which will be performed by a seasoned West End performer in our ‘virtual concert’.
“With lockdown still inhibiting live theatre performances – which has prevented the normal theatrical presentation of the final songs – we are delighted that Mercury Musical Developments has agreed to take a different approach this year and that Joanne Benjamin and The Entertainment Business have generously co-sponsored the £1,000 cash prize.
“We hope that technology will be kind to us on the night, and that all our 15 finalists are heartened, encouraged and happy with the way that their work is to be showcased and celebrated.”
The event which will be held in aid of Mercury Musical Developments’ Keep Writing Support Fund (set up to help writers to stay connected and access support during the crisis) will be available from 6pm on 5 July 2020.
Stiles and Drewe will be joined by guest judges (Olivier Award-nominated writers Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (Six), composer and musical director Tim Sutton (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Warhorse, Memphis), Dan Gillespie-Sells (frontman of The Feeling and composer of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) and award-winning composer Cassie Kinoshi (former Cameron Mackintosh resident composer at the Dundee Rep) live on the night to help them choose the winner.
During the judges’ deliberations CheerUpCharlie campaigner Charlie Kristensen will perform the song ‘Different’ from Honk! and writer Omar Baroud will perform his own song ‘My Pain’ from his musical After Elijah.
Usually held in conjunction with the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year Gala, the Stiles + Drewe Best New Song Prize was launched in 2008 as a means of recognising new musical theatre writing talent. Previous winners include Theo Jamieson, Adam Wachter, Tamar Broadbent, and Tim Sutton.
The 2020 Stiles + Drewe Prize Best New Song finalists are:
- ‘Bottle It’ by Jonathan O’Neill and Isaac Savage from Tanya: A New Musical (performed by Lizzie Bea)
- ‘Broken Guitar’ by Meg McGrady and Zoe Morris from The Phase (performed by Alex Thomas-Smith)
- ‘Colour’ by Charli Eglinton from Colours (performed by Fra Fee)
- ‘Heaven Can Wait’ by Julian Woolford and Richard John from The Devil’s Advocate (performed by Maiya Quansah-Breed)
- ‘Home’ by Jonathan O’Neill and Isaac Savage from Windows in the West (performed by Louise Dearman)
- ‘I’m Your Guy’ by Amir Shoenfeld and Matthew Greene from Benny In Beta (performed by Tyrone Huntley)
- ‘Juliet Kind Of Love’ by Victoria Saxton and Charles Miller from Marriage a la Mode (performed by Zizi Strallen)
- ‘Minnesota’ by Julian Woolford and Richard John from Comrade Rockstar (performed by Luke Bayer)
- ‘My First Ex-Boyfriend’ by Richard Marsh, Miranda Cooper and Nick Coler from Son of Rambow (performed by Natalie Paris)
- ‘Ride’ by Freya Smith and Jack Williams from Ride (performed by Laura Pitt-Pulford)
- ‘Shape The Future’ by Thomas Sutcliffe from Borders (performed by Melanie La Barrie)
- ‘Sparks’ by Freya Smith and Jack Williams from The Limit (performed by Lauren Samuels)
- ‘The Something Else’ by Vikki Stone from #zoologicalsociety (performed by Allyson Ava-Brown)
- ‘Two Ways To Australia’ by Rachel Bellman and Elizabeth Sybil Charlesworth from The Dickens Girls (performed by Rebecca Trehearn)
- ‘You Got A Problem’ by Rob Green and Nic Harvey from Hoarding: A Musical (performed by Marisha Wallace)
Angela Thomas
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