Matt Board and Reina Hardy's British musical comedy FANATICAL, celebrating 'cult TV sci-fi show Angel 8' and its fans at a comic convention, premieres later this year at London's Playground Theatre. Have a sneak-listen of some of the music ahead of casting...
The Playground Theatre and The Stable have announced the world premiere of Fanatical, a musical by Matt Board and Reina Hardy, which set to open this autumn with a company that includes Suanne Braun (Stargate/Red Dwarf/Mamma Mia/Cabaret). It will run 7 November to 8 December 2018, with a press night on 14 November. A crowdfunding campaign is now under way for the production.
"Don't tell me to get a life - I have one now, and it's called sci-fi!"
In a distant Galaxy - the ragtag misfit crew of cargo ship Angel 8 are under the command of fearless pilot Iris Aucht. Meanwhile…at a conference centre, somewhere in England – a ragtag misfit collection of 1,000 fans gather from all across the UK forEight Con One, the first ever official convention of the cult TV show Angel 8.
Angel 8 started as a comic created by reclusive British Sci-fi author Scott Furnish. Its first TV outing ended on a shocking cliffhanger. With eager anticipation at the promise of a second series, these enthusiastic devotees have come together to celebrate their beloved series and to meet Scott face-to-face and hear his keynote speech.
Fanatical is about being true to oneself, finding love against the odds, and snatching triumph from the jaws of disaster - proving that no power in the universe can keep a story from its fans.
Fanatical is directed by Grace Taylor and designed by PJ McEvoy, with original dramaturgy by Lotte Wakeham, choreography by Anthony Whiteman and musical supervision by Jim Henson. Further casting is still to be announced.
Matt Board is a composer, lyricist and musical book writer. He co-wrote the book, music and lyrics to Austentatious, which has played in London, New York, Philadelphia and Calgary. He was a finalist in the Search For A Twitter Composer competition and Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Award and was commissioned by Comedy Central to write Friends: The Opera for a gala performance in London. Matt’s other work includes Two’s A Crowd, which featured in the Perfect Pitch New Musicals Festival, music and additional lyrics for the short film The Dance To War (Catsnake Films) and music for the New York premiere of Reina Hardy’s play A Map To Somewhere Else.
Reina Hardy is a playwright. Her plays have been seen across America, including The Rorschach Theatre in DC and the Vortex in Austin. She’s a Michener Fellow, winner of the 2014 KCACTF TYA Prize, finalist for the Terrence McNally Prize and the recipient of an Interact 20/20 Commission.
The Stable is a production company, established to commission develop and present original musical theatre. The Playground Theatre’s mission is to work with both established and emerging artists in the UK and internationally. The ethos is one of cross-fertilization between different forms and different cultures with the aim of creating work that is bold and imaginative, while fully engaging the rich diversity of the community of which it is a part.
A crowdfunding campaign with some wonderful Fanatical-related perks is also launching today to help raise funds to enhance the band for Fanatical. From exclusive Fanatical T-Shirts to the opportunity to attend the dress-rehearsal, come to the cast party, have an exclusive performance for friends and family and have the show’s composer write a tailor-made song for one special donor. The following demo, of 'You Can See Her Fly', was specially created for the Fanatical crowdfunder campaign to give investors a flavour of the music. Note: it has not been fully arranged, orchestrated or staged.
