Cast Set Ahead Of A MIRRORED MONET Debut At EdFringe

The cast of a brand new musical based on the life of painter Claude Monet has been announced ahead of its debut run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Based on letters, articles, and diaries of Monet and other artists of the period, A Mirrored Monet is a dramatic musical by composer/lyricist and book writer/dramatist Carmel Owen, whose work has appeared Off-Broadway and at theatres nationally in the United States. Owen has been joined by a stellar Scottish team for this maiden season with Fraser Grant in the Director's chair and Neil Metcalfe as Musical Director.

Taking on the titular role of Monet is Crawford Logan, a familiar voice to listeners of BBC Radio Drama who most recently appeared on stage as Scrooge in the Lyceum's record-breaking An Edinburgh Christmas Carol. He is joined by Matthew Hydzik as Young Monet on the back of Broadway appearances in The Cher Show, It Shoulda Been You, and West Side Story. Royal Sarah Haddath steps into the role Camille after recent appearances in The Mould That Changed the World and Mother Goose with Bard in the Botanics.

The rest of the ensemble will be formed by Marc McMillan as Marquis and Chris Dodd as Renoir in their Edinburgh Fringe debut; Graham Mackay-Bruce as Leroy who has previously appeared at the Royal Lyceum Theatre (The Duchess of Malfi) and West End (The Phantom of the Opera); and Big Band Does Broadway company member Chris McLeish steps into the roles of Bazille and Durand-Ruel.  Recent Royal Conservatoire of Scotland graudate Rhian Ferrigan steps into the roles of as Blanche and Suzanne; and Craig Hunter (A Mother's Song, Local Hero) will appear as Monet's compatriot Manet. Kim Shepherd (Beyond the Barricade, Glasgow Girls) will act as understudy for Camille, Blanche, and Suzanne.

Based on letters, articles, diaries of Monet and other artists and writers of the period, A Mirrored Monet finds Claude Monet in Paris 1916, as the painter struggles to complete his government commission, The Water Lilies. Esteemed his greatest work, to him it means regular deliveries of food, fuel, wine, and cigarettes - hard to find during the war. He is suffering a creative block,  and worrying that unless he can paint as before, the lifeline of deliveries will cease. He searches for answers, taking us back to his young artist days in late 19th century Paris with his compatriots Renoir, Manet, and his model  and first wife, Camille Doncieux. Similar to 2023, Monet lived in a world shot through with violence and chaos, at war with itself and everyone in it.

The audience finds Monet in his Giverny artist's studio working on what will become his greatest series of paintings. As the front line of WWI advances, the artist escapes to his memories and we are transported through the cafés and salons of late 19th century Paris. With a story based on letters and diaries of Monet and his contemporaries, the Emerald Theatre will transform with beautiful music and projections of the era to transport audiences to France's Belle Epoque.

A Mirrored Monet will debut at the Emerald Theatre, Greenside @ Nicolson Square 14:00 17-19, 21:25 21-26 Aug.