Metta Theatre has been granted emergency funds by Arts Council England to enable the award-winning company to continue developing three out of six of the new British musicals it announced in January this year.
Originally scheduled to be showcased across the UK in the first half of 2020, the funding will be used exclusively to pay the freelance artists involved in the development of the trio of new shows as digital works.
Metta’s artistic directors Poppy Burton-Morgan and William Reynolds have also committed £20,000 from the company’s own funds to support the production of three cast albums alongside over £3,000 raised from Metta’s Crowdfunder campaign for The Rhythmics album.
With theatres likely to remain closed for some time, Metta will focus its attention over the next six months on creating cast albums and BSL integrated and captioned music videos for the three productions all written by Burton-Morgan: a new version of the company’s Wind in the Willows-inspired In The Willows, ‘climate crisis’ musical Housefire, and feel-good musical The Rhythmics.
The show which recently earned Burton-Morgan the Writers Guild of Great Britain Award for musical book writing, In The Willows features music from award winning composer Pippa Cleary (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 ¾ – The Musical) and ground-breaking hip-hop composer Keiran Merrick. The re-vamped version of the show which toured the UK last year was due to be previewed this year ahead of a new tour in the spring of 2021. Both productions have now been cancelled.
Housefire, which features music by award-winning US composer Ben Toth, was due to be workshopped at the Birmingham Rep and at London’s The Other Palace this month and at another London venue in July.
The Rhythmics boasts music and lyrics by Stiles & Drewe prize-winner Ben Glasstone (Reanimator) and choreography from Mark Smith (artistic director of Deaf Man Dancing). A second London-based workshop was originally planned for the end of June with a studio album following in August.
Announcing the change of direction for the three shows, Burton-Morgan said: “We’re so grateful to ACE for their continued support of the company and although it’s a terrifying and destabilising time for the world, and the sector, we’re really looking forward to expanding our practices into digital and audio performance. All three of these shows have such uplifting and heart-warming narratives – so we can’t wait to share them with the world and spread a little light in the darkness.”
One of the UK’s leading mid-scale touring companies, Metta has previously won praise for their street dance Jungle Book and circus musical Little Mermaid.
Angela Thomas
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