Guest Blog: Writer Danyah Miller on Collaboration, Magic and Spontaneity in THE MYSTERY OF LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE

As we head into the final rehearsal week of our new production The Mystery of Little Angel Theatre, I find myself reflecting on how much I’m enjoying the thrill and challenge of devising a new show, how much I love the collaborative process of theatre making.

This is my fourth time working with director Dani Parr and designer KATE BUNCE, and each time the process seems to become more magical, not least because our minds work so differently from each other - as we bring our own specialties and perspectives into the room. Add to this the incredible skills of Arun Ghosh, composer and sound designer, Gillian Tan, videographer and lighting designer and Matt Llewellyn Smith, our set and prop builder and stage manager, and I feel that I’m working with a dream team.

As an oral storyteller, my work is informed by a wide variety of story genres, including fairy tales, folklore, myths and legends and biographical stories. However, there’s something uniquely exciting about spontaneous storytelling for me. Its unpredictability requires imagination, quick thinking and focus, keeping both the audience and me on our toes!

The idea of putting spontaneous storytelling at the heart of this show began whilst I was researching for my book ‘Seven Secrets of Spontaneous Storytelling’ in 2022. During this time, I led a wide range of story sessions, including devising a School Pilot for the Royal Opera House Education Department. It was interesting to note how many children, aged 7 to 11, enjoyed mysteries and quests - I know adults do too.

Dani, Kate and I spent months tossing ideas back and forth, before landing on the idea of crafting a Murder Mystery show with spontaneity at its centre. We agreed we wanted to push ourselves creatively and be bold with our choices, whilst still making a fun, interactive piece of theatre for the whole family, from 6 - 106 years old.

All three of us love playing board games with our families, and this influence started to shape our thoughts and direction. We’ve been exploring the interactivity, problem-solving and clue-searching found in the best mystery board games, escape rooms and murder mystery dinner parties. We’ve tried to incorporate the essence of these into our production as we search for that fine balance between suspense and playfulness.

Early in our process we called on the help of two brilliant minds. Award winning playwright Phil Porter and super-detective author Robin Stevens, writer of the bestselling, award-winning Murder Most Unladylike Series. They’ve joined us as writing consultants and it’s been a joy to have them in the rehearsal room, at key stages of development, drawing on their expertise and knowledge.

We’ve also recruited a fantastic ‘Super Group’ of local children, aged 6 - 10, to help shape the show. These young creative minds have been invaluable to our process as we’ve improvised, explored, and experimented with ideas. They will be in again this week, with their families, to watch an open dress rehearsal and to stay on afterwards for a Q&A session. I’m looking forward to their comments and suggestions which we’ll take on board before we open on Saturday.

At times, working backwards to put this show together, has made my head explode. But I know it’ll all be worth it when, depending on the way each audience interacts and engages with the show, every performance will be different.

I’m super excited to share this new production with audiences so that we can gather up the clues and evidence together. With the clock ticking, I wonder if we’ll be able to solve the mystery before the show ends? Let’s hope so. Get involved - Get it solved!

The Mystery of Little Angel Theatre is at the Little Angel Theatre from 21 September - 17 November

Photo Credit: Sheila Burnett

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