Advanced Group Showcase 15th & 16th April 2025 | The Crazy Coqs
Programme & Song Context
Presenting 18 brand new songs from BML Advanced Group Writers in a showcase devised and musically directed by Mark Warman.
1 Alright On The Night Lyrics by Hilmi Jaidin & James Cleeve Music by James Cleeve, performed by Shaylyn Gibson
Context: In this standalone song, a larger-than-life diva who has found herself in a less-than-fabulous show attempts to rally the company the night before they open, even as everything present (and past) threatens to bring the curtain down completely.
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2 The American Way to Die (from "The Vigilante") Music & Lyrics by Hilmi Jaidin, performed by Nigel Richard, Jack Reitman & Maria Coyne
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Context: The Vigilante is about Joy, a stage mother out to avenge her daughter’s murder. In this song, her accomplices Fry and Zeke give Joy her first gun and when she breaks down, they try to explain that when her daughter was shot, she became a part of American history.
3 Cé hí (from "Tír na nÓg") Music & Lyrics by Shauna Carrick, performed by Shaylyn Gibson
Context: Niamh has trained her whole life to travel to Ireland and find the “laoch” (hero) who will save her home, Tír na nÓg - the eternally bright, land of eternal youth. But what happens after the laoch saves Tír na nÓg from the prophesied darkness? And where does Niamh fit in?
4 One In A Million (from "In Clay") Lyrics by Jack Miles & Rebecca Simmonds Music by Jack Miles, performed by Maria Coyne
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Context: Based on a true story, In Clay is a one-woman musical about a Parisian ceramicist, coming to terms with a career as an artist that has fallen short of her dreams. In One in a Million, Marie is finally given her big break at the 1913 International Universal Exhibition.
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5 Me-Shaped Gap Music & Lyrics by James Sherwood, performed by Jack Reitman & Nigel Richard
Context: This song is from a musical about the twelfth-century archbishop and celebrity murderee Thomas Becket. Thomas’s humble origins and indifferent exam results made him an unlikely candidate for running the country, or becoming a saint. Thomas has just had a job interview – and he doesn’t think it’s gone very well…
6 My Perfect Sunday (from "Hot Fuzz") Lyrics by Jim Burrows Music by Winston Eade, performed by Nigel Richard & Maria Coyne
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Context: While guarding the scene of Tim Messenger’s bizarre death, Doris and Fisher imagine their ideal Sunday. Their playful daydream spirals into a glittery disco fantasy—until they’re snapped back to the grim, spire-crushed reality.
7 Not Here, Not There (from "Shadow Puppets") Lyrics by Nikki Racklin Music by Howard Goodall, performed by Shaylyn Gibson
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Context: This song is written from the point of view of Sarah Claire Boas, the woman who not only lost her husband – politician and journalist Henry de Jouvenel – to infamous French writer Colette (1873-1954), but also her 16-year-old son Bertrand, who was seduced by the scandal-courting Colette, in her late-40s at the time.
8 Dead To Her (from "Shadow Puppets") Lyrics by Nikki Racklin Music by James Cleeve, performed by Maria Coyne
Context: Fanny Cradock was one of Britain’s most famous television chefs of the ‘60s and ‘70s. In this song, her timorous cooking assistant discovers that being the silent sidekick of a cantankerous household name (whose love she secretly craves) is no bowl of cherries. Both songs are from SHADOW PUPPETS, a song cycle that explores fame through the eyes of ordinary people who find themselves spinning in the orbit of someone famous, by accident or design.
9 Blofeld's Lament (from "Mr. Wint & Mr. Kidd") Lyrics by Raphael Smith Music by Ralph Warman, performed by Nigel Richard, Jack Reitman & Shaylyn Gibson
Context: The song takes place towards the end of Act 1 of “Mr Wint and Mr Kidd”, the origin story of two of Blofeld’s henchman. Blofeld attempts to recruit our heroes by explaining his main reason for doing what he does.
10 Everyone Loves Truman (from "The Truman Show") Lyrics by Kirsty Greenwood Music by Naomi Johnson, performed by
Jack Reitman
Context: This is our first real musical introduction to Christof - the narcissistic creator of The Truman Show and our show’s villain. Outside the TV studio the FREE TRUMAN protests are growing. Multiple screens in the control room show news broadcasts of the protests. Christof watches the reports. This song is his response.
11 I'll Give It To You (from "The Truman Show") Lyrics by Kirsty Greenwood Music by Naomi Johnson, performed by Maria Coyne & Jack Reitman
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Context: Truman’s wife Meryl has been issued with a task from the show producers: She must seduce and distract an increasingly suspicious Truman. She has two problems. First, she's been playing the part of wholesome All American Wife for so long, it's surprisingly tough to switch into the role of sexpot and second Meryl is also contractually obliged to sell products to the viewing audience at all times. She must sell and seduce all in one go.
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12 Power Flows (from "Morgana") Lyrics by Grace O'Keefe Music by Ralph Warman, performed by Shaylyn Gibson
Context: The mythical antihero Morgana seeks to save her half-brother Arthur, return the Sword of Avalon to Camelot and restore Britain’s magic, after discovering she has hidden magical abilities. In this scene, Morgana has accidentally cast a spell on a self-righteous knight, then quickly fled to explore her newfound powers.
13 If You Will Have Me (from "Sense And Sensibility") Lyrics by Grace O'Keefe Music by Thomas F. Arnold, performed by Jack Reitman
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Context: Sense and Sensibility follows the Dashwood sisters - practical Elinor and passionate Marianne - as they navigate the teenage melodrama of love, heartbreak, and society’s expectations. After being freed from a previous engagement, the kind, but diffident Edward Ferrars approaches our protagonist, Elinor, with an offer of marriage.
14 Locked Away (from "The Queen Is Mad") Lyrics by Tom James McGrath & Amy Clare Tasker Music by Tom James McGrath, performed by Maria Coyne
Context: Joanna has always spoken her mind. When she unexpectedly becomes Queen, her family is determined to silence her. SIX meets Sondheim in this dark saga about Catherine of Aragon’s older sister. Joanna sings her liberation anthem "Locked Away" to her husband Philip at the end of Act 1.
15 It Was Me (from "Just Breathe") Music & Lyrics by Michael Clulow, performed by Nigel Richard
Context: It Was Me is a song from Just Breathe, a song cycle about a group therapy session where George confronts the trauma of his past relationship, struggling with fragmented memories, anger, and self-blame, ultimately reaching a painful but necessary acceptance of his own role in the relationship's collapse.
16 Two Delusional Besties (from "The Sesh") Music & Lyrics by Rob Gathercole & Rebecca Simmonds, performed by Shaylyn Gibson, Maria Coyne & Jack Reitman
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Context: Delusional Besties is an early offering from an original musical that Rob and Rebecca are developing entitled The Sesh. The show centers on five early-twenty-somethings living in a flatshare who throw the wildest house party imaginable, blowing up each of their lives in the process.
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17 Get Yourself A Proper Job (from "Rishi Sunak's Doing A Musical") Music & Lyrics by Rob Gathercole & Joe Venable, performed by Jack Reitman, Nigel Richard, Shaylyn Gibson & Maria Coyne
Context: After watching the first act of Rob & Joe’s satirical political musical, Sir Keir Starmer & Rishi Sunak team up to confront the two writers.
18 Write A Musical Music & Lyrics by Raphael Smith & William Godfree, performed by Jack Reitman, Nigel Richard, Shaylyn Gibson & Maria Coyne
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Context: This song was written with the BML showcase in mind. It aims to regard the writing of musicals as a beautiful and unique contribution to human civilisation, equal in importance to the pyramids, space travel and the Nespresso machine.
Advanced Group Writers:
Tom Arnold
Tom is an Offie Award Nominated Musical Director and Composer.
As an MD: Jack and the Beanstalk (Lichfield Garrick Theatre, 2024), A Song of Songs (Finsbury Park Theatre, 2024, Offie Award Nominated), Beauty and the Beast (Lichfield Garrick Theatre, 2023), My Fair Lady (Frinton Summer Theatre, 2023), Tom is the resident Musical Director of The Crazy Coqs Presents and Mickey Jo Theatre Live.
As a Composer: Sense and Sensibility (British Youth Music Theatre, 2025), The House of Edgar (Seven Dials Playhouse, 2024, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 2018, 2016), Around the World in 80 Days (Big Little Theatre School, 2021).
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Jim Burrows
Jim is one half of Burrows and Eade, who are working on Hot Fuzz and iSpy after their successful debut of Mario! A Super Musical. Jim is a regular performer who is currently writing this bio dressed as an orangutan. He loves long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners.
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Shauna Carrick
Shauna Carrick is a writer and composer from Dublin. Recent credits include All Growed Up (Composer, BYMT 2024), Shauna Carrick Wants A Dog (Writer/Composer/Actor, Dublin Fringe 2023 - nominated for Best Production and First Fortnight Award), Tír na nÓg (Writer/Composer, dlr Mill Theatre 2022), Tiny (Lyricist, The Civic 2023). Her work in progress includes An Ghaeltacht: The Musical (Galway Theatre Festival & An Taibhdhearc) and Gleek of the Week (Scene + Heard 2025). She has participated in the MMD Claude-Michel Schönberg Masterclass, Pavilion Studio Residency, MMD Mercury Writer's Barn 2023, Gap Day 2024/25 and Axis Assemble 2024.
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James Cleeve
Composer credits include: Emilia (Nick Hern books), Pinocchio (Orange Tree Richmond), Oh Yes I Am! (King’s Head), Bette & Joan & Baby Jane (The Other Palace/JW3), and projects with ENO Engage and the London Accordion Orchestra.
MD/Arranger credits include: Yank! The Musical (Charing Cross Theatre), Alice in Sunderland (National Theatre Workshop), Once (Mountview), Ushers (Arts Theatre), The Sound of Music (National Tour - AMD), Into the Woods (LAMDA), and many projects with The Southbank Centre, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Young Vic, and on the London cabaret circuit.
Michael Clulow
Michael Clulow is a composer and music director with a passion for introspective storytelling. He recently completed a Master's in Musical Theatre Composition at Goldsmiths, where he developed his craft in writing and producing musicals. His original works include Undermined: The Fatberg Musical!, Viola – A 12th Night Musical, and Just Breathe, a song cycle exploring grief. Undermined was selected for development and workshop during a residency at the University of Winchester and has also contributed as a composer for the Central School of Speech and Drama, and among his collaborators, with producer Mrin Somani, developed Open Call, an interactive cabaret.
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Winston Eade
Winston fell in love with musicals as a child performer in the West End, climbing barricades as Gavroche in Les Misérables and picking pockets as the Artful Dodger in Oliver!. He’s one half of Burrows and Eade, the duo behind Mario! A Super Musical, which enjoyed a five-star, sold-out run at the Union Theatre. With Jim, he’s developing two new shows: iSpy and Hot Fuzz.
Rob Gathercole
Rob is a composer, writer and performer. He wrote the Offie Award nominated ‘Faking Bad – The Unauthorised ‘Breaking Bad’ Parody Methsical’, which ran at the Turbine Theatre in 2023. He is part of two writing partnerships borne out of the BML programme. In 2024, he co-wrote the hastily put together election spoof, 'Rishi Sunak's Doing A Musical!' with Joe Venable, and they have recently been commissioned by Nottingham Playhouse to write a new musical adaptation of 'The Little Mermaid', which will be performed the Christmas. He is also currently working on a new musical comedy, ‘The Sesh’ with Rebecca Simmonds. His music is available to listen to on all streaming platforms.
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William Godfree
William Godfree studied at the Guildhall. For many years he taught music in London and the South-East. He has been MD for operas and musicals as well as tutoring on summer schools.  As a composer, he has written music for television, theatre and the concert hall. 
His opera ‘Child Roland’ was premiered in Surrey in 2014 and his Requiem is published by RSCM Music.  He also performs in cabaret both solo and with other artists. In 2019 he made his cabaret debut in the US. He has just completed the score of new musical, ‘Kempton Bunton’.
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Kirsty Greenwood
Kirsty Greenwood is a novelist, lyricist, librettist and composer. Her 2024 romantic comedy The Love of My Afterlife was a USA Today Bestseller, a Good Morning America Book Club pick and is currently being adapted into a Hollywood movie with a script written by Vicky Jones (Fleabag, Run).
Kirsty is based in London and is working on a romantic comedy musical based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of The Shrew.
Hilmi Jaidin
Hilmi is originally from Southeast Asia and wrote the digital musicals Shift+Alt+Right and Cruel, Inhuman & Degrading. He has written songs with Gary Barlow and Shaznay Lewis for Gurinder Chadha's upcoming feature film Christmas Karma which will be performed by an ensemble cast including Billy Porter, Boy George and led by Kunal Nayyar. He provided additional lyrics for the RSC’s original run of My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican. He was a Stiles+Drewe Best New Song Prize finalist in 2021 and 2024.
Naomi Johnson
Naomi Johnson is a composer / lyricist from London. She’s written several best-selling musicals for YA within the stage school and education sector, performed by tens of thousands of children in the UK alone. In 2022 she was able to secure the UK and European rights for a musical adaptation of the award winning children’s book (multimillion copies sold) from Max Luzado, in association with Jeff Zahn (Disney, Universal
Naomi continues to write for adult and all age audiences. She is currently working on several projects, and is passionate about crafting commercial, authentic songs and stories.
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Grace O’ Keefe
Grace O’Keefe, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, is an award-winning writer. She moved to the UK to study Theatre Directing under Katie Mitchell OBE at RHUL. Grace co-wrote and stars in Summoning Sondheim, a musical comedy séance that has received 14 four to five star reviews to date. Grace directed and co-created the two-time EdFringe sellout Bad Teacher.
Her double act, The Queens of Cups, was awarded Best Newcomer at the Musical Comedy Awards ‘24. She co-writes Sense and Sensibility, which will be produced by BYMT in August. Her film and radio credits include BBC Studios and Radio 4.
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Nikki Racklin
Nikki is a lyricist and bookwriter whose shows include Michael Morpurgo's WHY THE WHALES CAME (Theatre Royal Plymouth/The Brewhouse Taunton), THE WINGS OF THE DOVE (Criterion) and HALF BROKEN THINGS (Seven Dials Playhouse). Alongside Ben Glasstone, Nikki is developing glam-rock musical MINI with NYMT. She has written the lyrics for BETTE AND JOAN AND BABY JANE, with music by James Cleeve and book by Tracy-Ann Oberman and Shaun McKenna (The Other Palace/JW3). Nikki’s song cycle SHADOW PUPPETS, which explores the cult of celebrity and features music by over a dozen different composers, is soon to be developed with Trinity Laban Conservatoire.
James Sherwood
James has been writing and performing funny songs for more than 20 years. He has performed them on the UK stand-up comedy circuit, at the Edinburgh Fringe, at the Hollywod Fringe, and on BBC Radio 4. Since 2022he has devoted his writing energies into musical theatre, thanks to BML. He is currently writing musicals based on: the life of Thomas Becket; the creation of the BBC; a few characters from Midsummer Night’s Dream; a much-loved 1980s British film; a dream he once had. Some of the songs from these musicals are not funny (deliberately).
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Rebecca Simmonds
​​Rebecca Simmonds is an Offie Award winning Book Writer and Lyricist based in London. After a sold out run at VAULT Festival (Jan 2023), an all-star concert at TOP (Aug 2023); and critically-acclaimed run at Upstairs at the Gatehouse (Mar 2024): her debut show with collaborator Jack Miles, In Clay, was invited to present at NAMT Festival in New York, in October 2024 and is slated for further productions later this year in both China & the US.
Rebecca holds a Master Degree with Honours in Musical Composition from Goldsmiths University and is represented by the Caroline Underwood Agency.
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Raphael Smith
Raphael writes for screen and stage. Currently writing Julian & Marjorie a musical about an older lady and a young boy lost in 1960s London. Also working on Mr. Wint & Mr. Kidd an origin story based on the henchman characters from Ian Fleming’s Diamonds are Forever.
Raphael trained at the National Film and Television school and was BAFTA nominated for best short film Sea Monsters. He was also BIFA nominated and Academy Award shortlisted for Sidney Turtlebaum starring Derek Jacobi.
Amy Clare Tasker & Tom James McGrath
Amy Clare Tasker and Tom James McGrath are a musical theatre writing team in London. Their work has been played on BBC Radio 2 and showcased at The Other Palace (Stiles + Drewe Best New Song Prize finalists 2024), The Crazy Coqs, and Toulouse Lautrec jazz club. Their musical The Queen Is Mad enjoyed a week run at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre last year, and is now on its way to Edinburgh Fringe 2025. Amy and Tom are members of Mercury Musical Developments. They are currently developing their second musical together, RISING, set during the 1916 rebellion in Ireland.
Independently, Amy’s previous work includes Ukulele Days, an actor-muso rom com which was featured at the BEAM showcase and Musical Bites at The Other Palace in 2023, and continues its development with support from Watford Palace Theatre. Tom’s previous musicals have been performed at Camden Fringe and Smock Alley Theatre (Dublin) and played on RTÉ Lyric FM. When not writing musicals, he works part-time as an NHS doctor.
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Joe Venable
Joe Venable is a lyricist and book-writer. His first show On Your Bike! (***** Theatre Weekly ***** Binge Fringe), about gig economy workers caught in a rivalry between two chicken shops, won Best Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2021 from Musical Theatre Review, and was later performed in Poland and Switzerland. His second show Jingle Street (***** Theatre Weekly ***** Musical Talk), about a jaded ad exec who wakes up to find he can only speak in jingles, was nominated for Best Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 by The Stagey Place. Last summer he wrote the election satire Rishi Sunak's Doing A Musical (**** Daily Telegraph **** Theatre & Tonic) with Rob Gathercole in just six weeks ahead of the snap election. He is currently working on new musicals Desdemona, about the first professional actresses in 1660s England; and Born Yesterday, in which a young couple get so fed up of being pressured to have kids that they pretend to have a baby.
Ralph Warman
Ralph is a British composer and performer. He read music at the University of Manchester. In 2014, his carol was shortlisted to the top six in BBC Radio 3’s inaugural carol competition and broadcast nationwide. He later scored Yes, But That’s Not All (2015), directed by Sara Kestelman and narrated by Jenny Agutter.
Since training at Mountview, Ralph has been developing Dark Isle, an original Scottish musical mystery. He is also currently working on; Morgana - inspired by the Arthurian legend of Morgan le Fay, and Mr. Wint & Mr. Kidd - based on the characters from Ian Fleming’s Diamonds are Forever.