This Sunday, 9 June, the Stephen Sondheim Society will host its Performer of the Year competition at the Sondheim Theatre. Over the years, this competition has launched the careers of superstars like Taron Egerton, Cynthia Erivo, Desmonda Cathabel and most recently Milly Willows. As well as being an opportunity to see the stars of tomorrow performing classic works by the great Stephen Sondheim, the competition also proudly shines a spotlight on new writing.
Stephen Sondheim was a well-known supporter of new musical theatre and it was at his insistence that the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year (SSSSPOTY) incorporated the works of up-and-coming composers. “New writers,” Sondheim pointed out, “don’t tend to get so many chances to show off their work.”
Each finalist sings one song by Stephen Sondheim, plus a new song chosen by them from the selection at New UK Musicals – the organisation founded by The Curious Case of Benjamin Button composer DARREN CLARK to showcase the UK’s best new musical theatre writing for the stage.
In anticipation of Sunday’s show, we ask Darren about this collaboration:
Why do you love Sondheim or why his work is important to you?
Many people hold Sondheim up as a godlike figure in the industry, but it is difficult to aspire to be a god. So I prefer to think of him as a man who has dared greatly in his work, who has succeeded and failed and persevered. I was 32 before I had ever heard of his work but since then my admiration and respect for his artistry, craft and ultimately his legacy are second to none in the world of musical theatre.
Unlike many, his attention to detail in his work does not come at the cost of the wide-ranging, deeply human questions at its heart. Personally, I believe that his beguiling work is not the result of a peculiar genius but something far more worthy of respect, hard work, persistence, tenacity, craftsmanship and a refusal to accept anything less than the best expression of a dramatic idea.
Why you are delighted to be involved with SSSSPOTY this year?
In 2013 one of my songs was a finalist in the SSSPOTY competition through the Stiles & Drewe Prize. Eleven years later I am delighted to be able to help facilitate the new song component of the competition through the New UK Musicals website. This site was designed to help people discover some of the best new UK musical theatre writers, and competitions like SSSPOTY are such an incredible showcase not only for the student performers but for the incredible work of the next generation of writers.
For Sondheim, a vital part of his work in musical theatre revolved around mentorship, teaching and the encouragement of upcoming writers. He was always honest with his feedback but generous in spirit. We hope that the involvement of new musical theatre writers in this competition honours the legacy of this incredibly generous artist.
The 12 finalists for the 16th annual Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year will take to the stage of the Sondheim Theatre during a gala final hosted by Bonnie Langford on 9 June. The winning student will be announced after all the finalists have performed before the panel of industry experts including West End stars Jenna Russell, Callum Scott Howells, Fra Fee and Jak Malone and musical director Alex Parker.
Hannah Chissick will direct the final which will also include performances from host Langford (Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, Gielgud Theatre, Gypsy, Piccadilly Theatre), Joaquin Pedro Valdes (star of the recent, critically acclaimed production of Pacific Overtures) and 2023 SSSSPOTY winner Milly Willows.
The Society is once again partnering with the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT), and the event will feature a preview performance from Into the Woods at the Southwark Playhouse by a chorus drawn from the current cohort of young performers.
The students will compete for a top prize of £1,000 and the chance to headline their own Sondheim-themed cabaret show in London. The runner-up will receive £500.
For the first time, the price-giving will be led by Jenna Russell, a patron of the Stephen Sondheim Society, who is taking over the role following the retirement of the Society’s founding patron, Julia McKenzie.
Selected by critic and broadcaster Edward Seckerson (chair of the judges) and musical director Nigel Lilley (Follies, National Theatre, Fun Home, Young Vic) from over 300 video submissions followed by 75 in-person auditions, the 2024 finalists are:
Holly Adams (Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance)
Brooke Bazarian (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art)
Oliver Halford (Emil Dale Academy)
Harrison Langham (Arts Ed)
Katie Leach (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art)
Madeleine Morgan (Royal Academy of Music)
Rowen Newsome (Brighton Academy)
Tumi Olufawo (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School)
Thomas Oxley (Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts)
Daisy Pearson (Rose Bruford College)
Gavin Rasmussen (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art)
Josh Rosewood (Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts)
The two reserves will be Mountview Academy students Jacob Dolan Holmes and Noah Thallon.
- The Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year Competition will be held on Sunday 9 June at 3pm at the Sondheim Theatre and tickets can be found HERE.
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button opens at London’s Ambassadors Theatre on 10 October 2024.
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