Life Support

Genre: Musical Comedy / Drama
Running time: Approx 60 mins
Cast: Tommy (20s), Damien (20s), Pete (20s) and Lucy (30s)

Synopsis

It tells the story of Tommy, who arrives in the Big Smoke seeking post-university infamy and claim his place as a musical icon. The only problem being that he can’t play any instruments. So, instead, to get a fearsome landlady off his back he’s sent to work, reluctantly and rebelliously, as a “vigilante educational reformist”. He joins a primary school as a special needs teaching assistant, alongside the eternally enthusiastic if beleaguered Lucy, Pete and Damien. Songs from his concept album, Life Support, play out against his learning curve, where a culture of failure is turned into an appreciation of those who compensate us for what we are not.

About

Once upon a time I travelled up to York Theatre Royal one my own and pitched them a musical before I’d written it. They were brave enough to commission me anyway. That resulted in a production at TakeOver Festival that went so well they invited us back for a short run. It was later taken into development with Theatre503, but, as I learnt is the case with many musicals, that didn’t result in a production. This is an actor-musician show, and an homage to 90s BritPop. It’s crying out for a cast of young performers to give it the festival run it deserves.

"You’ll never hear the Alphabet Song in the same way again, or hear someone speak Spanish without thinking of the Gigantic Man With Massive Hands – and although they’re funny, there’s a sadness just under the surface which lingers the same way."
— Dan Beam, The Press, York