BROKEN WINGS Will Have Pre-Tour Workshop Presentation

New Musical Broken Wings premiered at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2018 in semi-staged concert format, Directed by Bronagh Lagan, Produced by Ali Matar and with Orchestrations and Musical Direction by Joe Davison. Following further development, the show now prepares for its first international production dates with a two-week London workshop, culminating in two public presentations at The Other Palace.

Based on the 1912 novel by the iconic Kahlil Gibran, Broken Wings is written by Nadim Naaman (The Phantom of The Opera, Sweeney Todd) and Dana Al Fardan, one of The Middle East's foremost contemporary composers. This July, the show travels to the most fitting of venues - the prestigious Beiteddine Arts Festival in Lebanon, homeland to both Gibran himself and co-writer Nadim Naaman. Previous musicals at Beiteddine include Notre Dame de Paris, Cats and West Side Story, as well as performances by Elton John, Jose Carreras, Il Divo, Ute Lemper and Kiri Te Kanawa.

The Workshop cast includes returning cast members of Broken Wings (in alphabetical order): Nadeem Crowe, Soophia Foroughi, Nikita Johal, Sami Lamine, Nadim Naaman, Jake Stewart and Bethany Weaver. Joining the company are Joseph Claus (The Phantom of The Opera), Hanna Khogali (Rags), Benjamin Purkiss (Bat Out of Hell), Hannah Qureshi (Trinity Laban Graduate), Jeremy Secomb (Les Miserables) and Karl Seth (Bend it Like Beckham).

New York City, 1923. An ageing Kahlil Gibran narrates from his cold studio. Through poetry and music, he transports us back two decades to turn-of-the-century Beirut, where he falls deeply in love with Selma; the daughter of family friend and hugely respected local businessman, Farris Karamy. However, Selma soon becomes betrothed to Mansour, nephew of the powerful Bishop Bulos Galib, who has one eye on the Karamy's fortune. Gibran and Selma fight to reconcile their love for one another, whilst navigating the traditions and expectations that society lays before them.

Writer Kahlil Gibran, whose seminal work The Prophet was an international best-seller, remains the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao-Zu. What inspired him to write? And what moved him to such profound philosophy in his later life? The events in Broken Wings highlight key social issues of the time: the fight for gender equality, the freedom to love who we love, tradition versus modernity, wealth versus happiness, immigration and the importance of 'home'. Yet these themes are increasingly relevant today, over a century later.

Nadim Naaman says: "The run at the Haymarket last August was a whirlwind, but it was only the beginning. We have enjoyed re-working and fine-tuning the material since then and we can't wait to get the show back on its feet. Our London and UK-based supporters have been right behind us from the very beginning, so we wanted to find a way of sharing our revised show with them before we take it abroad. These workshops performances are the perfect way to do that, and give the audience a chance to see and hear the material in more intimate conditions."

Dana Al Fardan says: "It's very exciting to see Broken Wings enter the next phase of its evolution, becoming the version of the show which we will be showcasing internationally. It will be a huge moment, to take Gibran back to his homeland this summer, and to the people who know him best. How wonderful that we get to return to work in London first; the show's creative home, and where we debuted last summer."

The Original Concept Album of Broken Wings was released by Auburn Jam Music in 2018, and is available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon MP3, Google Play and most digital music platforms. CDs and Vocal Selections (in downloadable PDF format) are available via auburnjam.co.uk

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