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The workshop was founded in January 2010, and offers a weekly forum for developing craft in musical theatre writing through group discussion and feedback as your work evolves over an ongoing period. This is a lab where all participants can feel safe to test and re-test work from an early stage to a finished level. We also strive to encourage and nurture collaborations and the work that comes out of them. It runs for approximately 30 weeks per year, split into two terms (Spring and Autumn). We hope to make this a permanent programme to support book writers, composers and lyricists, and other musical theatre specialists as needed. In 2011, the programme won a 'New Writing Encouragement' award from the theatre committee of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain.
BOOK Music & Lyrics currently consists of several separate but inter-related workshops.
LIBRETTISTS' WORKSHOP
Ne participants begin by focusing on the building blocks for strong story development and the dissection of ‘classic’ musical books, followed by assignments, to practice basic tenets of craft and to practice giving -- and receiving -- helpful feedback from the group before beginning to develop their own projects. We will also complete two projects in collaboration with the Composer/ Lyricist Workshop. Many members are returning and developing their own projects within the workshop.
FIRST YEAR COMPOSER/ LYRICIST WORKSHOP
A workshop to develop and nurture craft in the writing of songs specifically for musical theatre, what those songs have to accomplish as part of a dramatic structure and how a score is developed. The entire first year of this workshop consists of assignments to write various forms of theatre songs, all of which will be presented in the workshop, to, again, practice giving - and receiving - helpful feedback from the members of the group. You may apply as a composer or a lyricist or both, but you will be expected to work with a different collaborator on each assignment. The year’s work culminates in the writing of 10-minute musicals in collaboration with members of the librettists workshop.
COMPOSER/ LYRICIST LAB
Formerly called 'Writing Lab Xtreme', under the aegis of MMD, this is a group of about 12-16 writers who have been meeting monthly for the past two or three years for the group critique of ongoing projects. At this time, membership in this lab is by invitation only, but it is always interested in new members.
UPCOMING
In 2012, we will be adding a SECOND YEAR COMPOSER/ LYRICIST WORKSHOP, which will explore how to shape and construct an entire score, and how to build and navigate a collaboration with a writing partner over an extended period.
We also intend to add a workshop in MUSICAL THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHY where emerging practitioners may develop and practice their craft in this specialised area, using the same principles as the other workshops.
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supported by Arts Council England, Nitro and The Fineman Trust
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