Artists Revealed For Major New Musical Theatre Residency In Scotland

Dundee Rep Theatre and Cove Park have announced the musical theatre artists who will participate in a pioneering new creative residency programme in Scotland this Spring.

The Musical Theatre Writing Residency is a two-week international programme for emerging and established book writers, composers, and lyricists from the UK, India, and the United States.

Taking place in the stunning surroundings of Cove Park from 04 – 17 March 2024, the programme will see writing teams provided with an immersive and creative space to freely connect, develop, collaborate and create ideas for new musical theatre works.

Artists were invited to apply as teams of up to three collaborators with a musical theatre idea in need of development, ready to take it to the next stage in its creation. Following a competitive selection process that saw nearly 200 applications, thirteen artists will take part in the residency fortnight, with a diverse range of multigenerational creative voices at different stages in their careers.

The artistic collaborators will include Scotland/UK-based artists Debbie Hannan and Andy McGregor; Linda McLean and David Paul Jones; Samir Bhamra, Devesh Sodha and Robby Khela; Jonathan O'Neill and Isaac Savage; US-artists Nikki Lynette and Lili-Anne Brown; and Indian artist Sushma Soma.

The residency will see the teams developing their ideas, with projects and themes including a punk rock musical based on the story of some of Scotland's most militant suffragettes, a 90s-inspired sci-fi romp set around Scottish UFO hotspot Bonnybridge, and a haunting horror musical that blends dark rock, urban grime, pop, and cinematic scores with Hindu mythology.

The residency has been developed by Dundee Rep Theatre and Cove Park alongside twelve Scottish and international partners, making it one of the largest collaborative projects in the recent history of the performing arts in Scotland.

Partners include Capital Theatres, Citizens Theatre, Macrobert Arts Centre, National Centre for the Performing Arts (Mumbai), National Theatre of Scotland, Octopus Theatricals (New York City), Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and the Traverse Theatre. Associate partners include A Play, A Pie and A Pint, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Playwrights' Studio Scotland and the Tron Theatre.

Working alongside Cove Park and Dundee Rep, the partner organisations will play a valuable role supporting the artists with their own rich and varied expertise. All partners are committed to developing the musical theatre landscape, both in Scotland and further afield. This pilot residency is majority-funded as part of the British Council & Creative Scotland Partnership: Connect & Collaborate.

The residency has been devised by Andrew Panton, Artistic Director of Dundee Rep Theatre, and will include facilitated sessions with Dramaturg Jeanie O'Hare (formerly Director of New Work Development at The Public Theater), Music Supervisor James McKeon (Musical Director: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, London), Donna Lynn Hilton, Artistic Director of Goodspeed Musicals, Connecticut and David Greig, Artistic Director of Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh. Shonagh Murray joins as Associate Musical Supervisor, with Imogen Stirling, supported by Playwrights' Studio Scotland, joining as Associate Dramaturg.

The creatives will also benefit from networking opportunities and workshop sessions, both in-person and digital, with industry-leading writers, composers, producers, directors, and other theatre practitioners – including Tony Award-winning director John Doyle, Tony and Grammy Award-winning producer Mara Isaacs, Tony Award-winning producer Rashad V. Chambers, and more.

Andrew Panton, Artistic Director at Dundee Rep Theatre, said: “This residency has been a number of years in the making. I'm thrilled that so many sector-leading organisations in Scotland, India and the US have joined Dundee Rep and Cove Park to present this residency. We will be creating a safe space for the participating artists to experiment with their work and the form. We know that there is huge audience demand for musical theatre and this is an opportunity for our participants to learn from industry-leading experts and from each other, I believe that this is a huge investment in the talent that we need to create the next decade of great musicals.”

Mara Isaacs, Creative Producer & Founder, Octopus Theatricals, said: "This residency represents the kind of multi-national, multi- sector collaboration that is essential to the flourishing of our field. There's no telling what inspirational sparks will fly in a room filled with and supported by theatre companies, artists and colleagues representing the future of musical theatre in the UK, the US and India."

Alex Marrs, Programmes & Communications Producer at Cove Park, said: “We look forward to welcoming this exciting cohort of musical theatre creators to Cove Park. This residency expresses our core aim to provide a supportive space for risk and experimentation and addresses the acute and growing need for funded musical theatre development opportunities in Scotland. Alongside such inspiring partner organisations, we are delighted to support the creation of innovative and ambitious musicals for the benefit of audiences nationally and internationally.“

About Dundee Rep

Dundee Rep has long been associated with new musical theatre, notably being the originating producer of new musicals including No Love Songs, Sunshine on Leith, Hi My Name is Ben (with Goodspeed Musicals, Connecticut), A Christmas Carol and Oor Wullie. Development, progression and learning sit at the heart of the organisation placing value on the collaboration and nurture of a diverse range of creative voices at different ages and stages of career.

Just one hour north of Glasgow, Cove Park is an international residency based on an outstanding 50-acre rural site on Scotland's west coast. Often working in partnership with leading organisations to develop commissions, exhibitions, and international residency exchanges, Cove Park's programmes provide professional and creative development opportunities that support research, experimentation, and collaboration. Cove Park offers uniquely designed private accommodation, studios, and workspace to create an inspiring context in which artists can progress ideas, acquire new skills, and develop work for audiences throughout the UK and beyond.