VIDEO: The Arden School Of Theatre's Trailer For Their Upcoming Streamed Production Of STARTING HERE, STARTING NOW

The Arden School of Theatre, part of UCEN Manchester, are screening the Maltby and Shire musical "Starting Here, Starting Now" this Valentine's weekend. The musical was filmed in Manchester prior to Christmas and features the graduating students of their BA (Hons) Musical Theatre programme.

Watch the trailer below by West End Video!

Head of The Arden School of Theatre, Robert Owen, told us: "The piece was recommended by our resident Musical Director Robert Purvis, who musically directed the show in London previously. We not only wanted a project that we could rehearse and stage in a socially distanced manner but something quintessentially musical theatre and a piece that would challenge the students; what better than a Maltby and Shire revue.

The concept of the production was pitched to me by our Director, Alastair Knights (All On Her Own, Beautiful), who worked on The Elaine Paige TV Show, with a new Musical Director Jordan Alexander (Buddy, Bullseye The Musical) and video production company, West End Video.

With the unknown of whether theatres would be open and whether we would have an audience; rather than simply live stream a theatrical production, we wanted to create the feel of a 'made for TV special' which we felt would be fitting for the piece. We stripped back our theatre for the cameras and everything was done in mind for the screen. Jamie at West End Video did an incredible job of coming on board and being a part of that creative vision from the start."

The show was filmed at the Sackville Theatre, Manchester in early December, with adherence to then-current COVID guidelines.

The graduate cast includes Atlanta Roberts, Chloé Hughes, Christine Osei, Connor Baldwin, Daisy Lomax, Dolly Pratt, Ebony Jowett, Ella Keenan, Elliott Oswald, Emily Kendall, Emily Milne, Fleur Evangeline, Gabriella Kitson, George Frazer, George Kelly, Harriet Yorke, Harry Gilmore, Jessie Underhill, Jordan Eaves, Katie Husker, Liv Warden, Lucy Crossley, Miya Ocego, Natalie Summers, Neve Haddock, Rowán Blake Prescott, Sam Ryan and Shannon Clare Lane.

The creative team includes:
Director - Alastair Knights
Musical Director & Orchestrator - Jordan Alexander
Choreographer - Evan Garrett
Director Of Photography - Jamie Scott-smith
Video Production - West End Video
Lighting Designer - Vicky Mulligan
Sound Production - Jordan Alexander
Sound Designer - Jonathan Critchley
Sound Assistant - Cassius Murray
Company Manager - Katie Harrison
Make Up Artist - Dolly Pratt

Starting Here, Starting Now is a thrilling and touching musical revue using the songs of Richard Maltby, Jr., and David Shire (Big, Baby, Closer Than Ever). Made for each other, the wry lyrics of Richard Maltby, Jr., combined with David Shire's buoyant music, forge a fast-moving, ingratiating look at how love can go right, wrong or nowhere. From tender ballads to hysterical husband-hunting laments, from wry comments on trendy marriages to ecstatic shouting-from-the-rooftop celebration.

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