PROM QUEEN: THE MUSICAL to Get Public UK Workshop at the Other Palace

New musical Prom Queen will receive a workshop presentation at The Other Palace on Monday 2 July, ahead of a planned Broadway run.

Prom Queen is inspired by the incredible true story of Marc Hall, a Canadian teenager who takes his district School Board to court when they refuse to let him attend prom with his boyfriend. The precedent-setting case sparked an international media storm, making the blue-haired teen the face of a new generation fighting for equality. In this fun and uplifting musical, Marc has to learn to be his own hero, and fight for the right to be himself.

The workshop presentation is directed by The Other Palace artistic director Paul Taylor-Mills, with a cast featuring Tony-nominated Lauren Ward (Matilda), Nathan Amzi (In The Heights, Rock of Ages), Caroline Sheen (Mary Poppins, Les Misérables), Luke Bayer (Everybody's Talking About Jamie) and Natalie Douglas (The Beautiful Game).

The cast also includes Cameron Burt, Danielle Fiamanya, Ethan Scott, William May, Liam Gartland, Tom White, Frances Gilbert, Carine Gilbert, Lucy Smith, Emma Davies, Martha Kirby, Ben Addington, Matthew Runcom, Micheal Bowie, and students from The Guildford School of Acting, where Paul Taylor-Mills is on the Advisory Board.

Prom Queen has a Book by Kent Staines, Music by Colleen Dauncey and Lyrics by Akiva Romer-Segal. It is produced by Mary Young Leckie. Book writer Kent Staines and Producer Mary Young Leckie continue their journey with this story, having previously created the much-loved Canadian TV movie Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story.

Paul Taylor- Mills said today: "I came across Prom Queen at The National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival in New York last October. This real life story, exploring how we change outdated perceptions of gender and sexuality, is a familiar one that we're seeing in a lot of new musicals. I couldn't help but be completely taken by this contemporary score set against a relevant and important story and am so excited to be workshopping it at The Other Palace with this wonderful cast".

Prom Queen was produced by The Segal Centre for Performing Arts in Montreal, Quebec (2016) after development workshops at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton, Ontario (2015), The Canadian Music Theatre Project (CMTP) at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario (2014) and a Playwright Residency at Young People's Theatre in Toronto, Ontario (2008).

Prom Queen received the 2016 Pechet Musical Award from the Playwrights Guild of Canada and is currently nominated for 4 Montreal English Theatre Awards (META), including for Outstanding New Text (Book and Lyrics) and Outstanding Production.