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Musical Theatre

Dmytro Hovorov sings for Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, as member of Songs for Ukraine Chorus

Musical Theatre student Dmytro Hovorov, member of the Royal Opera House Songs for Ukraine Chorus, met and sang for Olena Zelenska and Akshata Murty during a visit to 10 Downing Street.

During a special reception hosted by the wife of the British Prime Minister Akshata Murty and the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, 30 representatives from the Royal Opera House’s Songs for Ukraine Chorus – including first-year Ukrainian Musical Theatre student Dmytro Hovorov – performed two of Ukraine’s most celebrated compositions.

The Songs for Ukraine Chorus was established in Spring 2023 in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The ensemble is a creative exchange between the Royal Opera House and the London Ukrainian community, creating a safe space for 130 Ukrainians (most of whom have been displaced by the war) and demonstrating the power of music to inspire hope in the face of extreme adversity. Dmytro discusses his experience:

“When I joined the Songs for Ukraine Chorus in February last year, I wasn’t sure what scale the project would be, but there were between 100 and 150 Ukrainians present at the first rehearsal! We had our first concert in March, rehearsing and performing together at the Royal Opera House – it was an absolutely amazing experience. A year of the war had passed and I felt like I was truly reconnecting with the Ukrainian community again – it was wonderful to be amongst people who understood and experienced my culture.

We also participated in a wonderful concert in Bradford Cathedral. I’ve made lots of really close friends in the choir and the project continues to develop on an even greater level. I really like that we perform on big platforms in venues where we can tell people about ourselves, remind them about the war, and ask for their support. It’s been amazing to spread Ukrainian music, with its culture and folklore, across the UK.”

The choir’s repertoire mostly consists of Ukrainian songs. People have completely different musical experiences within the choir: some members are professionals and trained singers, while some are reading music for the first time. The Royal Opera House has recently divided this choir into two – one larger choir where everyone takes part, and a smaller, more experienced chamber choir that performed at Downing Street.

At the reception in 10 Downing Street, the Songs for Ukraine Chorus sang the Ukrainian National anthem and the hymn Prayer for Ukraine. The choir interacted and communicated with Olena Zelenska and Akshata Murty, emphasising that they wished to be ambassadors to raise money for Ukraine through charity concerts.“The meeting aimed to share our culture and show that London has a thriving Ukrainian community and an immense support for Ukraine”, says Dmytro.

Dmytro moved to the UK in 2019, after graduating from the R. Glier Kyiv Institute of Music as a Junior Specialist in Voice and Opera. He speaks about his musical journey and how it has continued to develop:

“I was very, very happy to be offered a place at Trinity Laban – I dreamt of doing Musical Theatre since my childhood. I applied to Trinity Laban last year and am currently in the first year of my undergraduate. The course is amazing, it’s intense but really fun. I love the people, the community, and the quality of all the teaching is excellent.

“On the Musical Theatre course, everyone starts with different levels of expertise. I came in with a high level of singing and had less experience in dance and acting, but everyone has been so inspiring ad supportive. This course has been a wonderful opportunity for me, a huge personal success.”

While Dmytro continues his Musical Theatre studies at Trinity Laban, he aims to remain an active member of the Songs for Ukraine Chorus. The choir are growing from strength to strength and are currently working towards a major performance this summer, which will soon be announced by the Royal Opera House.

Image Credit: Royal Opera House. Dmytro is in the last row, third from the left.

MT students star in West End’s Side Show

Several of our talented MT students shall grace the stage of the London Palladium in a special, one-night-only concert spectacular of Broadway musical Side Show on Sunday 3 March 2024. Presented by Lambert Jackson, with TL alum Phoebe Noble as producer, Side Show is based on the true story of conjoined twins who rose to fame during the Depression through a circus sideshow act.

The Tony-nominated musical paints a moving portrait of two women joined at the hip whose extraordinary bond brings them stardom but denies them love. Following the sisters’ heart-warming search for affection and acceptance amidst the spectacle of fame, Side Show has previously been described as a both “beautiful and wrenching” production by Broadway World.

Trinity Laban’s second- and third-year Musical Theatre students step into the spotlight: Aiden Cross will play the role of Sir and Adelio Canton will take to the stage as Ray. Tolu Ayanbadejo, Nadia Harper, and Hannah Jarvis will star as three featured female presenting roles, while Sam Rowe, Aidan Caffyn, and Laurence Grey have been cast in three featured male presenting roles. A phenomenal ensemble choir, comprising twenty-eight of our current MT students, will also join West End legends Louise Dearman and Rachel Tucker on-stage as they lead as the legendary Hilton twins ‘Daisy’ and ‘Violet’, joined by Bradley Jaden as ‘Terry’ and Tosh Wanogho-Maud as ‘Buddy’.

With book and lyrics by Bill Russell, music by Henry Kriegler, and additional book material by Bill Condon, Side Show boasts a stunning score including Who Will Love Me As I Am, The Devil You Know, and I Will Never Leave You. The production will be directed by Emma Butler with Adam Hoskins serving as Musical Director.

Book tickets here: Side Show in Concert Tickets – The London Palladium, London – Official Box Office (lwtheatres.co.uk)

Celebrating the success of CoLab 2024

Each year, CoLab marks the perfect opportunity for our Dance, Music, and Musical Theatre students to unite in celebration of creativity and innovation in all its many art forms, culminating in two magnificent showcases. 900 students from our faculties come together with staff and visiting artists from around the world to create works rooted in imagination and innovation. 79 projects took place over two weeks in February, including 35 student-proposed projects, four international co-creative projects, and three visiting companies.

This year’s theme ‘Journey to the Heart’ prompted experimentation, risk-taking, and creativity, emphasising that collaboration in the arts is more important than ever. The fortnight-long festival saw students, colleagues, and guests explore and play outside of their comfort zone to reach new artistic heights.

International highlights included students working with musicians from Slovakia for the project Variations in Roma and Slovak Traditional Music, led by TL alum Zoltan Gayas, creating arrangements through improvisation and exploration. Singapore’s contemporary dance group, The Presence Project, led by TL alumnus and Honorary Fellow Peter Gn (PhD), collaborated with TL students to create the project No Detour at the Intersections. This multidisciplinary movement experience guided dancers and non-dancers through fun, in-the-moment contemporary dance routines and improvisations. TL also worked closely with the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, based in Los Angeles, to bring together four separate projects inspired by the year’s theme – a true testament to the creative strength of our community.

Trinity Laban students also thrived working with UK-based companies, including Clod Ensemble, an internationally renowned performance company delivering an award-winning artistic programme with public engagement at its heart. Artistic Directors Suzy Wilson and Paul Clark joined forces with students on a project exploring the ensemble’s unique approach to interdisciplinary collaboration. During the festival, they journeyed into the heart of 27-years of performance making, delving into archive materials to foster connections and creating opportunities to find a shared language.

Showcases of the students’ work took place at Laban Building and Blackheath Halls – each a resounding success and reminder of the beauty of artistic collaboration.

Celebrated London productions feature TL’s Musical Theatre Students

During the 2022-2023 season, Trinity Laban’s students have featured in prestigious London productions, acting and dancing alongside the biggest stars of the theatrical stage. Read on to discover what the future stars from our vibrant Musical Theatre Department have been up to!

Based on the classic Victorian novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden was adapted for theatres by Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman with music by Lucy Simon and was staged in The London Palladium to high acclaim.

“Based on the screaming ovation from the audience at The London Palladium, we’ve all been waiting too long for the multi Tony award-winning 1991 musical of The Secret Garden to return to the West End”, read The Prickle’s review of the show.

Former student Aleyna Mohanraj made her professional debut as Ayah in this dazzling production, singing alongside Mark Feehily and a host of talented West End performers. TL alum Lucy Drever – now a workshop leader, presenter, and narrator – narrated the production, performed on 28 August 2022.

Our Musical Theatre students also performed at The London Palladium alongside West End stars and TL alumni in Lerner and Loewe’s majestic Camelot in Concert, back in February 2022. From the writers of My Fair Lady, the Tony-Award-winning musical Camelot tells the story of the legendary love triangle between King Arthur, Guenevere and Sir Lancelot. 35 future stars shared the stage with West End and Broadway legend Ramin Karimloo. Also featuring in the performance was 2013 Trinity Laban vocal graduate Georgi Mottram, who played Nimue.

Smash-hit musical Annie Get Your Gun was celebrated on 7 April 2023 with a special one-night only concert production at The London Palladium. Led by the celebrated Rachel Tucker, the show featured TL’s BAMT students in featured stage roles and was described as “extremely tight and well-rehearsed” (The Prickle). The hard work of the cast and our TL students helped to produce a truly star-studded production.

The dazzling and devastating life of Princess Diana will be staged in the original show Diana: The Musical at the Eventim Apollo for one night only on 4 December 2023. This marks the UK’s debut of this iconic Broadway musical live on stage, featuring ‘80s-inspired mega-hit show tunes by Bon Jovi’s David Bryan and Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro (What’s New Pussycat?, Memphis). Starring Kerry Ellis as Princess Diana, the ensemble will be played by Trinity Laban Musical Theatre students, making it a definite date for the diary! Get tickets here.

Image Credit: Danny Kaan

Musical Theatre Alumni take centre stage

Our magnificent Musical Theatre Alumni continue to grace the greatest stages after graduating with Musical Theatre degrees from Trinity Laban! From performing in West End theatres to touring the UK and beyond with sell-out shows, find out what some of our alumni are up to after finishing their studies…

The 2023/24 UK tour of smash-hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is currently in full swing and our Musical Theatre alumni are stealing the spotlight! Finton Flynn is playing Young Loco/Cover Jamie, while David McNair is performing as Tray Sophisticay. Also on tour is Teddy Hinde, holding the golden ticket and performing as Mike Teavee in the first ever UK and Ireland tour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Meanwhile, Jacob Kohli has been cast as Cover Justin and an ensemble member in the original UK tour of Kathy & Stella Solve A Murder of 2023. This is a new and critically acclaimed comedy musical, written by the Olivier Award winners behind Fleabag and A Super Happy Musical (About Feeling Super Sad).

Many of our alumni are also performing in shows at the glittering West End and premier London venues. JoJo Meredith made his West End Debut in the European premier of Death Note The Musical in August at the London Palladium and will soon be gracing the boards at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London in the cast of Pacific Overtures (from 25 November 2023 to 24 February 2024). Jessica Johns-Parsons joined the West End cast of Les Misérables, the theatre’s longest-running musical since its opening in 1985, this September. Both Matthew Elliot-Campbell and Hannah Qureshi are enjoying success in hit musical Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London, with Matthew performing in 2022 and Hannah from this summer onwards. Having featured in the National Theatre’s West End transfer of The Crucible at Gielgud Theatre, Lucy Brindle has recently finished performing as Kate McGowan in Titanic: The Musical in China. Currently performing as an Alternate Catherine Howard/Anne Boleyn in the 2022-2023 West End production of Six the Musical is Danielle Rose.

Rebecca Wickes likewise starred in Six the Musical as Katherine Howard in the 2022-23 UK tour, playing the same role in the English leg of the South Korean Production in 2023. She also played Veronica Sawyer in the 2021 UK tour of Heathers the Musical. More recently, she made her West End debut in We Will Rock You at the London Coliseum, performing as Ensemble First Cover ‘Meat’ and Second Cover ‘Scaramouche’. Joining the cast in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of The Fair Maid of the West is Marc Giro, who will perform in the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon (from Saturday 2 December 2023 to Sunday 14 January 2024).

Our alumni have had equal success in bringing their own shows to the theatres. Founded and managed by Phoebe Noble, the theatre company 13 Months Theatre gives a platform to new writers and performers. Born with the idea that creatives can craft their own work as an ensemble in the industry, the company gave themselves 13 months to create a fringe show. Recent adventures include production The Grumble Cat at the Camden Fringe (with book and lyrics by Phoebe Noble), and Musical Manifest Vol. 2 at the Other Palace Theatre (with Phoebe Noble as Artistic Director). The 2022-2023 Queens Theatre Production of Sleeping Beauty, with original music and lyrics by Tom Self, won ‘Best Pantomime’ at the 2023 Off West End Awards. Building on this immense success, Tom Self shall be bringing his own solo cabaret show, Me, Tom Self, and I, to the West End next year!

Find out more about studying musical theatre at Trinity Laban.

Alumni Round Up July 2023

In this month’s Alumni Roundup, we have a variety of news about performances, festivals, album releases and podcast episodes across both music and dance.

To start off, Dai Fujikura’s Wondrous Steps was amongst the great music featured on Modern Notebook with Tyler Kline in celebration of the 200th episode of the show.

TL jazz alum Reuben James recently released his debut album Champagne Kisses. Listen to Champagne Kisses or read about James.

Joe Armon-Jones and Maxwell Owin gave a CDR Artist Talk about their new album Archetype, their creative processes, and diverse careers at Corsica Studios on 11 July.

British saxophonist Camilla George performed “the perfect opening for jazz in the North Sea” at the North Sea Jazz Festival 2023 opening night, which celebrated its 46th year.

Xhosa Cole Quartet performed at INNtöne Jazz Festival in Austria which was held between 21 and 23 July.

The Waldstein Quartet comprising Greta Papa (violin), Daniel Pukach (violin), Natalia Solis Paredes (viola) and Miguel Villeda (Cello) performed a programme of English music at Mary the Virgin, North Stoke on 29 July.

Grammy award-winning, Emmy and BAFTA nominated composer, Lorne Balfe composed the music for The Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning opening titles. Read about how Lorne used over 555 musicians and recorded over 14 hours of music across Europe to put together the score for the movie. Lorne has since been back at AIR Studios finishing recording the score for Argylle, an upcoming spy action thriller which will be out in 2024.

Elliot Galvin released a new album policepolice with another TL alum, Martin Lee Thomson, on the euphonium. Listen to policepolice here.

Oscar Jerome led a guitar masterclass for Day 3 of Tomorrow’s Warriors Summer Runnings 23.

Here is a video of Stjepan Hauser the cellist from 2CELLOS playing his cello on fire. Read more about Stjepan and his career.

TL alum Nivanthi Karunaratne joined Queen Charlotte’s Orchestra, a 70+ member orchestra made of women of colour, to record and perform Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You, on the song’s 20th anniversary. This orchestra was created by Netflix, Shondaland, and Alicia Keys to celebrate the release of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Nivanthi recently performed Poliuto with Teatro Nuovo at the Lincoln Center Debut.

Ezra Collective‘s Where I’m Meant To Be was nominated for the 2023 Mercury Prize with FREENOW. Watch what they have to say about “representing cool jazz” below.

Onto some Musical Theatre news, May Tether will be playing Jessie in Halls the Musical which premiered at the Turbine Theatre in Battersea at the end of July.

At the beginning of July, acclaimed director and choreographer Susan Stroman’s much-lauded revival of Crazy for You celebrated its official opening at London’s Gillian Lynne Theatre. Completing the company was Musical Theatre alum Jason Battersby.

Operation Mincemeat has extended its limited run in the West End yet again up until 4 November with Christian Andrews as part of the cast. They have now introduced a new loyalty scheme for repeat attenders where anyone who has watched the production at the West End twice or more can apply for £10 off per ticket when booking in groups of six, while stock lasts.

 

Moving onto some dance news, Sarah Hirsch and Philip McDermott, the duo are working on Magnetoreception and have collaborated with TL staff member Florence Meredith on the costume designs for their performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Dance Science alum, Kendall Baab, founder of BodyKinect explains how different muscles in the body serve various purposes in this reel on Instagram.

Dr. Gemma Harman’s ResDance podcast is now third in FeedSpot’s list of the 15 Best UK Dance Podcasts.

Dance alum Vince Virr has performed in three countries over the past three weeks and will be performing in two more. Have a look at his aerial spectacle as part of BD:Festival.

Wayne McGregor talks about his latest premiere for the Royal Ballet, his programme for the Venice Biennale and his game-changing collaboration with ABBA in RAD’s podcast, Why Dance Matters.

Elena Alava Hilgert speaks to RAD about her dance teaching experience and how dance benefits her physical and mental wellbeing.

Amy Dalton-Hardy facilitated Season 5: People Focused Producing on 31 July on the topic Start with the Why – A Value-led Approach to Producing.

Thomas Page worked with Rambert School students on a process and dance research, Connectivity towards Commonality.

Alum Kate Scanlan, who is the Creative Director and Chief Executive of East London Dance, spoke on David Watson’s new podcast, Before the Applause about navigating the evolving world of creative arts. Listen to the episode here.

Dance Movement Therapy alum Ana Sanchez-Colberg will once again serve as Artistic Director for VisionAI.R-e, which will take on the production of Festival Videodanza de Puerto Rico. Ana says they have expanded their reach to include choreographic work in VR, AI and XR. For more information click here.

Read what Zinzi Minott had to say about making art about the Windrush scandal in The Guardian.

Iris Athanasiadi collaborated with Olga Ntenta, Carolina Cury and Konstantinos Damianakis combining her love for architecture, dance and performance-making to present Witching, an immersive performance at Theatre Deli London. Witching is an ode to the mysterious, fierce, and magical creatures; women. Throughout history, women have been demonised and portrayed as witches, bringers of misfortune and evil. This performance aimed to change this narrative and celebrate the superpowers of the female body.

 

Coming up:

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet is coming to Sadlers Wells Theatre, from 1 August until 2 September. Book your tickets to this passionate and heartbreaking performance by New Adventures.

Dance theatre alum James Pett will be choreographing and performing In The Absence at BALLET NIGHTS 2023, organised by former Scottish Ballet principal turned ballet producer Jamiel Laurence. This six-night extravaganza presents huge names in ballet this September, October, and November. Book your tickets here.

TL scholar Simone Tavoni is the Artist Director and founder of The Paisajes Piano Festival which will be taking place in Spain between 12 and 16 August. Carolina Cury, TL 2021 Gold Medal winner will be performing music by Sofia Gubaidulina, Bach, Ligeti, Brahms, and a world premiere piece by Helen Ottaway on 14 August. Find out more about the festival here.

Banner image credit: Alex Brenner
The 5 Innovation Award winners sit on stone steps, with the river Thames to their right.

Innovation Award 2023 winners announced

Congratulations to the winners of our 2023 Innovation Award: Ọlá, Lizzie Fletcher, Chiara Martina Halter, Aimée Ruhinda and Katlo. Each winner has been paired with a mentor who will help them develop their projects over the course of the next year. Find out more about the winners and their projects and mentors below.

Winners:

Ọlá – Àwa

Ọlá is a Nigerian musician currently in his final year of BA (Hons) Music Performance at TL. His parents wished to enrol him for music lessons as a child but couldn’t afford the fees. Over a decade later, Ọlá decided to pursue his passion and took up the clarinet at age seventeen.

Now a Beryl Searls and Trinity College London Scholar, Ọlá founded The Amalgam, after leading a project at Trinity Laban’s CoLab Festival 2021 and they’ve since enjoyed performing in London and nationally.

He is currently trailing a career that transcends genres as he regularly performs in the Classical, Afro and Popular Music circles.

Ọlá says: ‘I’m feeling thankful as this award will help me put my creative ideas in motion.’

Lizzie Fletcher – Vibrations

Lizzie Fletcher is a trained classical singer, with a particular interest in arts and wellbeing. With a passion for singing in a variety of choirs and solo settings, she has also been actively involved in a range of community outreach projects, including Music and Theatre for All‘s Urban Opera project and Singing for Parkinson’s.

With Vibrations, Lizzie aims to research and curate musical workshops for Deaf children, exploring how we can experience music with our full bodies rather than just through our ears. Her goal is to provide this field of work with the recognition it deserves, while helping others to heal and enjoy the benefits of music.

Lizzie says: ‘I am very grateful to have won this year’s Innovation Award. I’m excited to continue developing and creating more accessible opportunities in music, and working towards changing the stigma surrounding music for the Deaf.’

Chiara Martina Halter – Stomach Aches

Based between London and Switzerland, dance artist Chiara Martina Halter creates contemporary multidisciplinary works that merge live performance with screendance and installation art. She is particularly interested in creating immersive, multisensory spaces that offer high performance and entertainment value while efficiently communicating topics of social relevance.

Alongside her education at Trinity Laban, she joined the ensemble of the interdisciplinary art collective PR•SMA to create multifaceted site-specific performances. She also began training in a variety of hip-hop styles and dance theatre with Avantgarde Dance Company, and created and performed her own work outside of an academic context.

Chiara says: ‘It is incredibly reassuring to know that there are people who want to support my work and give it a platform. For that I am utterly grateful.’

Aimée Ruhinda – Rituals in Chaos

Aimée Ruhinda is a London-born performance artist of Ugandan and New Zealand heritage. Her work explores contemporary art through movement, choreography, and digital media. Aimee purses the creation of immersive installations that engage the viewer on a visceral and emotional level. Her practice is influenced by the Gothic genre, acknowledging its commitment to non-conformity, embracing the dark side of the mind as a voice for societal rebellion and transformation. Through her art, Aimee strives to challenge traditional notions of beauty, disrupt social identity expectations, and dismantle stigmas surrounding mental health.

Aimée says: ‘I’m so excited to receive this award and feel grateful to have Trinity Laban’s support to further my research project out into the world.’

Katlo – My Medusa

Katlo is an international student from Botswana. My Medusa, is an African feminist re-telling of the classic Greek myth. It explores the intersection between race and gender known as misogynoir during the Apartheid of South Africa. The story follows Medusa in the early years of her career as a jazz singer from Botswana trying to make her way in South Africa.

Katlo says: ‘It means so much that Trinity Laban is pushing for work like this to hit the mainstream. This story means so much to my family and my heritage.’

Mentors:

  • Rob McNeil – As a performer, Rob has worked across theatre, opera, dance & film, in the UK & internationally. Rob’s artistic interests combine curation, choreography & direction. He led a large scale EU arts collaboration City Noises between 2011-14 and recently was engaged by the EU Commission as an expert to assess applications to the EU Culture Fund in 2022.
  • Tina Krasevec (TL lecturer) – Tina Krasevec decided to pursue her passion for contemporary dance after reading Sociology and Philosophy at the University in Slovenia. Tina has a BA (Hons) from The London Contemporary Dance School and a MSc in Dance Science. She has performed nationally and internationally with a variety of companies.
  • Joyce Gyimah – Joyce’s training began at Lewisham College followed by degree level study at Trinity Laban. Since graduating in 2002, Joyce has worked as a freelance dance artist, educator, choreographer, manager and consultant. She has undertaken work for a range of dance institutions and organisations including Trinity Laban, Greenwich Dance Agency, Greenwich Musical Theatre, Union Dance, UK Foundation for Dance, Tavaziva Dance and more.
  • Caroline Heslop – Caroline has many years’ experience as a music journalist, composer, FE lecturer and pianist. In 2019 she founded NW Live Arts to offer communities access to dynamic concerts, bringing together creative musicians and community storytellers from different cultures to explore a rich mix of sounds and genres with an under-lying theme of social and cultural significance.

To find out more about previous TL Innovation Award click here.

Photography credit: Juno Snowden
montage of photos promoting Trinity Laban's autumn music and dance events

Launching TL’s Autumn Season 22

Running from September to December, Trinity Laban’s autumn season includes an experimental festival of new music and performance in response to the climate crisis, a musical comedy murder mystery, two birthday anniversary celebrations for composers Leonardo Salzedo and Mike Gibbs, the concert and album launch of Rūtsu: Chamber Music 2.0, and a masterclass focusing on Polish composers. 

 

Festival

Taking place across various spaces at Kings Charles Court, Old Royal Naval College, Rude Health Composition Festival (12-16 Dec) is an experimental festival of new music and innovative performances from Trinity Laban’s acclaimed composition students. This year the festival presents creative responses to the climate crisis, so expect the unexpected with installation, multimedia events and music at the cutting edge of sound. 

 

Production

Trinity Laban’s BA Musical Theatre third year students, perform Holmes, Ebb and Kander’s musical Curtains, a comedy send-up of backstage murder mystery plots, set in 1959 Boston, Massachusetts. When Jessica Cranshaw, the supremely untalented star of ‘Robbin’ Hood of the Old West’ is murdered during her opening night curtain call, it’s up to Lt. Frank Cioffi, a police detective moonlighting as a musical theatre fan to solve the case and save the show, without getting killed himself of course!   

6, 7, 8, 9 Dec at 7pm 

Sat 10 Dec at 2.30pm & 7pm  

Laban Theatre 

 

Concerts

Join us for two exhilarating performances at Blackheath Halls from Trinity Laban’s BA (Hons) Music Performance and Industry students (4 Nov). Creative Strings Ensemble: A Better Place, (6pm, Great Hall) is a concert of creative voice and strings performance featuring poetry, improvisation and creative repertoire and in collaboration with BMus Strings students, and Life Is A Song (7.30pm, Hearn Recital Room) for a night of innovative, fresh and harmonious live music. 

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of composer Leonardo Salzedo, Richard Crabtree, professor of viola at Trinity Laban, will play The Viola Concerto, accompanied by Trinity Laban students and conducted by Leslie Howard, a close friend of Salzedo’s. This celebration concert, at Conway Hall (24 Sep, 6pm), also features Baritone Geoff Williams who will sing from the song cycle The Lotus Eater Abroad as well as other works by Salzedo. 

Conducted by Ralph Allwood, Trinity Laban Old Royal Naval College Chapel Choir perform evensong which will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 (28 Sep, 4pm), from The Chapel, Old Royal Naval College.   

Trinity Laban String Ensemble perform works by Daniel Kidane, Schoenberg, and a new work by one of Trinity Laban’s composers in the surroundings of the Great Hall, at Blackheath Halls (14 Oct, 6pm). 

Chamber music is the backbone of teaching and learning at Trinity Laban, so join us for Rush Hour Concert at Blackheath Halls (12 Oct, 6pm) featuring the Carne Trust Junior Fellow Chamber Ensemble and Waldstein String Quartet. They will be paired with a performance of Dvorak’s Piano Quintet, with Irina Lyakhovskaya performing side by side with an ensemble of Trinity Laban students.  

The concert and album launch at Blackheath Halls for Rūtsu: Chamber Music 2.0 (18 Oct, 7.30pm), from Anna Astesano (Harp) and Valentina Ciardelli (Double Bass), explores the deep connections between the influences of Japanese art on Western culture and vice versa. With a talk beforehand (6.30pm), the album features music from Ravel, Stravinsky and Puccini and contemporary compositions, notably Mr Hirano’s Elegy dedicated and composed for the duo. 

Trinity Laban Symphony Orchestra present a diverse programme of established repertoire, contemporary music, and a newly composed work at Blackheath Halls (27 Oct, 7.30pm) then return to play side by side with Trinity Laban staff (2 Dec, 6pm) to perform two works by Coleridge-Taylor. 

Expect spellbinding storytelling and haunting melodies as Trinity Laban vocal students perform scenes from operas in and around King Charles Court, Old Royal Naval College (28 Oct & 8 Dec). And Dominic Ellis-Peckham directs an evening of choral performance at Blackheath Halls (15 Nov, 7.30pm) on the theme of journeys, featuring traditional and folk songs performed by Trinity Laban Undergraduate Chorus and Trinity Laban Show Choir. 

TL Jazz Orchestra celebrate Mike Gibbs’ 85th birthday year, with a two night residency, conducted by Mike and Josephine Davies, at the Vortex Jazz Club (14 & 15 Nov, 7pm & 9pm). 

Our Masterclass: A Focus On Polish Composers (7 Nov, 5pm) at Kings Charles Court, Royal Naval College , includes Trinity Laban students performing works by Polish composers, with masterclass mentoring from Agata Szymczewska (violin) and Wojciech Szymczewska (piano) supported by The PWM Edition, Poland. 

 

Winter Celebrations 

As the festive season approaches, our young Junior Trinity students perform in their annual Winter Concerts on the stage of Blackheath Halls (26 Nov, 1pm & 7pm) and the Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir stage their annual Christmas concert at The Chapel, Old Royal Naval College (12 Dec, 7pm). 

There’s also a special performance from Cirque de Pierrot’s all-women Pierrot Ensemble, (14 Dec, 6pm) at Blackheath Halls, who will be presenting the full Schoenberg and Lee cycles based on the sad clown, Pierrot, as part of Trinity Laban’s Rush Hour Chamber Music Series.  

 

For full listings, ticketing info and booking visit our What’s On page.

Announcing our TL Innovation Award Winners 2022

The award provides final-year students with a platform to grow as creators, offering significant support in the form of professional development and seed funding so awardees can realise their artistic and business ideas.

Now in its fourth year, the Trinity Laban Innovation Award forms part of the conservatoire’s strategy to help emerging artists develop their voice and innovate in the cultural industries.

We’re pleased to announce that the 2022 winners are:

  • Phoebe Noble, Natasha Spencer Levy, Ellie Drayton and Holly McConville (Musical Theatre) for 13 Months Theatre
  • Shaye Poulton Richards (Music) for Upon A Mother’s Death
  • Iolla Grace (Music) for InsideSound
  • The Grounding Project: Ruby De Ville Morel, Mila Fernandez and Melissa Heywood (Dance) for The Water Series
  • Ashley Lim and Isabelle Long (Dance) for Transcendance
  • Ebony Robinson (Dance) for Diversity in space and styles

The awardees impressed expert panellists Chief Executive of Black Lives in Music Charisse Beaumont, Creative Dance Consultant Theresa Beattie OBE, and Trinity Laban Principal Anthony Bowne with diverse and innovative proposals that span cultural history, boundary-pushing genre development, and the power of the arts for positive change in the community.

Anthony Bowne comments –

“The panel and I were incredibly impressed by the creativity, ambition and scope shown by applicants across dance, music and musical theatre. The Trinity Laban Innovation Award is one of the many ways in which Trinity Laban is nurturing entrepreneurial and project management skills in early career artists and strengthening our connections with the wider industry.”

Charisse Beaumont comments –

“I was impressed by the calibre of the applicants this year. Each demonstrated not just creativity and innovation but the willingness to use their project to impact society. I am deeply inspired and encouraged by the fact that this is just the beginning of their career as future leaders.”

Theresa Beattie comments –

“I was impressed by the entrepreneurial ideas of the students and how each finalist made the case through their presentation as to how they could make a positive civic impact with Innovation Award investment.”

Funded by our Higher Education Innovation Fund allocation, each winning project receives an award of £3,000 to use on development. They will also benefit from a specially tailored 10-month mentorship programme delivered by acclaimed Trinity Laban alumni, who will share their expertise, including:

  • Flautist and music educator Nicola Tagoe 
  • Artistic Director of Studio Will Dutta and Co-Head of Artist Development at Sound and Music Will Dutta (BMus Piano 2008) 
  • Presenter, workshop leader and narrator Lucy Drever, who is Associate Artist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Head of Musicianship at the Benedetti Foundation, and an Ambassador for the Britten Pears Arts Community team. (BMus Voice (mezzo soprano) 2013) 
  • Dance and movements specialist Yukiko Masui who has worked with international contemporary dance companies such as Art of Spectra, Cathy Waller Company, Christopher Marney and Vuyani Dance Theatre. (DDS 2009; MA Dance Performance 2011) 
  • Matthew Harding, artistic director for Urban Interface Dance UK and the founder and director for Wolfpack Dance Collective UK. (MFA Choreography 2019) 

Since its inception in 2019, the Trinity Laban Innovation Award has already supported 18 forward-thinking and socially engaged projects conceived by winners who have achieved remarkable things, contributing to the UK’s rich cultural landscape. These include:

  • Composer, musician and artist James Layton who founded Into the Ocean, a London-based recording and concert series showcasing experimental new music including an album of works for solo viola in collaboration with Stephen Upshaw.
  • Multicultural all-female dance collective Mass Hysteria who has created work for Tate Modern, The Place’s Resolution Festival 2020 and V&A’s Friday Late series.
  • Producing Artistic Director Hayley Huggett, who set up Tilley Peacock Productions, creating shows and workshops for children with Special Educational Needs and Disability.

Trinity Laban Innovation Award Co-founder, Joe Townsend comments –

“Now is the time for finding fresh ways of working together. In these uncertain times, the arts are more important than ever. Fuelled by energy and imagination, combined with Trinity Laban’s excellent creative approach to training, we are proud to support these fabulous artists as they launch their careers in music, dance and musical theatre. There are more collective projects than in previous years, which is a testament to our belief in collaborative working.”

The award gives graduates more than just money to realise a project, the mentoring is a two-way learning relationship that provides a safe space for mentors and graduates to bring ideas into action and to help shape the bigger picture of music and dance.

Dance artists Emma Greene and Sunniva Moen Rorvik used their 2021 award to support their project exploring experiences of dance of the African Diaspora in the London Borough of Lewisham. They comment –

“The Trinity Laban Innovation Award gave us the opportunity to make important connections within the local community. The support from our mentor, really helped us to take on this new challenge with confidence and we are forever grateful for the opportunities that we have had since receiving the award.”

To find out more, visit our Innovation Award webpage.

If you’re interested in studying at Trinity Laban visit our study pages.

Image credit: Juno Snowdon

Cassius Hackforth

TL student in final of West End Sondheim Competition

Cassius Hackforth in the running to be crowned Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year 2022

After a COVID-enforced hiatus, the celebrated Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year competition returns for its 14th anniversary showcase on Monday 30 May.

Current Trinity Laban third year musical theatre student Cassius Hackforth is one of 12 finalists who will take to the West End stage at London’s Sondheim Theatre to compete for the coveted prize.

On becoming a finalist, Cassius comments –

“It’s a dream come true to be in the final. I’ve been following the competition for a while now with the judges and previous competitors being a big inspiration for me.

“I’ve worked so hard on my acting through song over the past three years at Trinity Laban and I can’t thank Helen Evans, Tony Castro, Pete Gallagher and Verity Quade enough for helping me reach this moment.”

Cassius will perform ‘Class’ from Sondheim’s first musical Saturday Night for a panel of industry experts including British music journalist and radio presenter Edward Seckerson.

The TL student will also premiere a newly written piece of musical theatre, in partnership with the New UK Musicals organisation.

Affectionately known is SSSSPOTY, the annual contest is a major platform for emerging musical-theatre talent. Previous winners include Rocketman star Taron Egerton and Tony Award-winner Cynthia Erivo.

Cassius is set to play Willard Hewitt in the Trinity Laban Musical Theatre production of Footloose at The Albany (27 & 28 May).

Launching TL’s Summer Season 2022

Encounter intriguing and inventive music and dance in our live events programme. 

Running from May to July, our summer season takes Trinity Laban talent to venues across the capital to celebrate innovative new works and contemporary voices across artforms.  

Highlights include a new opera, two festivals, three musical theatre productions, a host of new dance works and a rousing call to climate action.  

Hope 4 Justice  

Co-created by composer Eska Mtungwazi, Young Person’s poet laureate Cecilia Knapp, choreographer Sarah Golding and hundreds of local young people, Hope 4 Justice will highlight global and local climate concerns and look to the future with hope. The cross-artform piece featuring dance, music and spoken word will be presented at Catford’s Mountsfield Park as part of Lewisham Borough of Culture 2022 in partnership with Lewisham Music. 

Dance 

An annual highlight, Dance Legends (Thu 30 Jun – Fri 1 Jul) features a selection of works by choreographers who have made significant contributions to the development of contemporary dance. This year’s programme includes Protima Chatterjee Unfettered Mind, Candoco’s Still by Nigel Charnock and experts from Studio Wayne McGregor Autobiography performed by second year students. 

This season also sees dance students from across our programmes present new work, starting with two programmes of original choreographic work by second-year BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance students Mon 9 May & Tue 10 May).  

Third year students will delight and intrigue audiences with theatre-based and site-specific dance works, films and installations for Dance in Situ (Wed 18 Jun) in a culmination of their artistic exploration and choreographic investigation, before presenting work which has been developed through intensive periods of creative exploration with professional choreographers including Diva Kasturi in the second instalment of Commissioned Works (Tue 14 Jul). 

Across two weeks, the Faculty of Dance presents the annual Graduate Showcase (Mon 18 – Fri 29 Jul), spotlighting new work from artists studying on our masters and research degree programmes. Expect experimental and investigative pieces, drawing on collaborative and interdisciplinary practices that incorporate live performance, film and video, installation, and documentary processes. 

Festivals 

Changemaker Festival at Blackheath Halls (Thu 26 – Fri 27 May) celebrates the diverse and rich work of our BA (Hons) Music Performance and Industry students. 

Curated by Douglas Finch, New Lights Contemporary Festival of Piano and Contemporary Music returns to our King Charles Court campus for a riot of experimental music making (Mon 20 & Tue 21 Jun). The festival has earned a reputation for showcasing a diverse range of composed and improvised contemporary music for keyboard, electronic and multi-media performance. Each day will feature a series of performances from students, alumni, composers and guest artists, and will culminate in an interactive improvisational ‘happening’ across multiple spaces. 

Continuing their successful UK Tour, Nic Pendlebury and Trinity Laban String Ensemble bring A Change of Season to Latitude Festival in Suffolk (Thu 21 & Fri 22 Jul). A response to the climate emergency, the programme reimagines Vivaldi’s iconic masterpiece The Four Seasons and revives Hollie Harding’s immersive and eco-political Melting, Shifting, Liquid World, exploring the seasons as they should be and contemplating what they may become. 

Productions 

In their last shows before transitioning into the profession, third year musical theatre students take to The Albany stage to present two movie-inspired shows: Carrie the Musical (Fri 20 May – Sat 21 May) and Footloose the Musical (Fri 27 – Sat 28 May).  

Based on the Stephen King novel Carrie with music by Michael Gore and Lyrics by dean Pitchford, the show centres on a teenage girl with telekinetic powers whose lonely life is dominated by an oppressive religious fanatic mother. When she is humiliated by her classmates at the high school prom things take a turn and chaos is unleashed on everyone and everything in her path. 

Based on the classic 1980s film, Footloose tells the story of city boy Ren who moves to a rural backwater in America where dancing is banned. He decides to break loose and soon has the whole town up on its feet. 

In June, it’s the turn of second year students who present Andrew Lippa’s heart-warming and magical Big Fish at Blackheath Halls (Mon 20 – Sat 25 Jun).  

Devised by Head of Vocal Studies Jennifer Hamilton, Strozzi! brings to life the intriguing world of seventeenth-century Venetian composer Barbara Strozzi in a collage of words and music (Thu 7 – Sat 9 Jul). 

Concerts and competitions 

Open to student ensembles across our Faculty of Music, the Carne Trust Chamber Competition showcases the technical and creative skill of our musicians. In the final, Beyond the Bell, Bolling Quartet, Meridian Guitar Quartet and Waldstein Quartet will compete at St John Smith Square for a share of the generous prize fund (Wed 22 Jun). 

Continuing our Black Culture 365 programme, composer and recitalist Althea Talbot-Howard presents the British premieres of original compositions and new realisations of music by Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Coleridge-Taylor, and Sancho at St Alfege (Thu 30 Jun). 

Trinity Laban Symphony Orchestra will take Cadogan Hall audiences on a tour of early twentieth century London through the eyes and ears of Vaughan Williams with ‘A London Symphony’ under the direction of Gerry Cornelius, before being joined by Soloists’ Competition 2022 winner Kyle Nash-Baker for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 (Tue 28 Jun). 

Trinity Laban’s Sinfonia Strings and Wind Ensembles come together at Blackheath Halls (Thu 12 May) to perform Handel’s Water Music, directed by Walter Reiter. 

To mark the end of another successful academic year, our junior departments will mount shows and presentations in July. Junior Trinity takes to the stage at Cadogan Hall for a concert and prizegiving ceremony (Sat 9 Jul), while Laban Theatre hosts the Centre for Advanced Training End of Year Show (Sat 9 Jul) and the annual summer show for participants from our Children’s Creative Dance Classes (Sat 2 Jul). 

 

For full listings, ticketing info and booking visit our What’s On page.