New family musical The Little Beasts at The Other Palace this summer
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
A WORK in progress presentation of brand new family musical, The Little Beasts, runs at the Other Palace from July 14 to July 29, 2017.
Described as a dark and imaginatively comic musical, The Little Beasts follows a selfish little girl who runs away from home and discovers a magical menagerie filled with animals that used to be children before their naughtiness brought them to untimely ends.
When the menagerie’s menacing proprietor tasks her to choose one animal to set free, she must decide which one, if any, has learned its lesson. But things are not what they seem, and is any child truly naughty?
The Little Beasts is a musical for ages 7+ with magical and innovative puppetry.
Sebastien Torkia plays the Man in Black alongside Laura Baldwin (Sam) and a cast of ensemble actors.
Sebastien Torkia’s theatre credits include The Wild Party and The Stripper (The Other Palace), Peter And The Starcatcher (Theatre Royal, Northampton), Travels With My Aunt and Funny Girl (Chichester), Top Hat (National Tour), Sweeney Todd (West Yorkshire Playhouse/Royal Exchange Manchester), The Lion King (West End), Women Beware Women (National Theatre), La Cage Aux Folles (Menier Chocolate Factory), A Chorus Line (Sheffield Crucible), The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and Singin’ in the Rain (National Tour).
His screen credits include Babes in the Wood, Coronation Street and Victoria Wood’s That Day We Sang (TV); Paddington 2, Mamma Mia!, The Clan, The Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (film).
Laura Baldwin’s theatre credits include Wendy in Peter Pan (Gordon Craig Theatre), Red Riding Hood/Teen Fiona in Shrek (UK Tour), Betty Blue Eyes (UK Tour) and Alice in Alice in Wonderland (Lichfield Garrick).
The featured ensemble includes Oliver Evans (West End and UK tours of Wicked), Seyi Omooba (Ragtime, Charing Cross Theatre, The Color Purple, Cadogan Hall), Nina Bell (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamboat, National Tour, Billy Elliot, West End) and Tyler Fagan (Les Miserables, Love Never Dies, West End).
Director Jamie Hinde directed The Wiz (Hackney Empire) and Romeo and Juliet (Upstairs at the Gatehouse). Puppetry director Nick Barnes co-founded Blind Summit. His credits include Anthony Minghella’s Madame Butterfly (ENO), The Lorax (The Old Vic), The Infidel (Theatre Royal Stratford East) and Mr Poppers Penguins (West End and Tour).
Composer Luke Bateman’s recent credits include Mr Poppers Penguins (West End and Broadway) and The Sorrows of Satan (Tristan Bates Theatre). Book writer and Lyricist Michael Conley’s recent credits include Superhero (Southwark Playhouse) and The Sorrows of Satan (Tristan Bates Theatre).
Musical supervisor Paul Herbert’s recent credits include Annie Get Your Gun (Sheffield Crucible), The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (Leicester Curve) and Radio Times (UK Tour). He won the Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer Award for which he was based at the Watermill Theatre.
The Little Beasts is a work in progress production and will have a number of public sharings. Audience members will be invited to help with the development of the show by offering feedback and opinion to the creative team. The show will change over the course of three weeks of public performances.
Tickets: £7.50 – £12.50 (ticket pricing has been structured to reflect the evolution of the show throughout the run. Tickets start at £7.50 for the first week and finish at £12.50 for third week when the show has developed). To book, call the box office on 0844 264 2121 or visit www.theotherpalace.co.uk/.
Times: Vary (see website for details)
Also at The Other Palace: Award-winning composer Ryan Scott Oliver’s thrilling new alternative rock musical 35mm: A Musical Exhibition (September 18 to September 30, 2017).