Musical Theatre

montage of photos promoting Trinity Laban's autumn music and dance events

Launching TL’s Autumn Season 22

Posted 5 September 2022 No Comments

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.

The Trinity Laban Innovation Awards 2022 Winners all sitting together on a grassy bank. They are 12 females in total, all looking ahead and smiling.

Announcing our TL Innovation Award Winners 2022

Posted 28 July 2022 No Comments

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

TL student in final of West End Sondheim Competition

Posted 29 April 2022 No Comments

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 14^th 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

Posted 12 April 2022 No Comments

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. 

TL to debut at the Palladium

Posted 6 January 2022 No Comments

Musical theatre students will sing alongside West End stars and TL alumni in Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot in concert.

Following 2019’s celebrated concert production of Doctor Zhivago at Cadogan Hall, 35 future stars from our vibrant Musical Theatre Department will once again share the stage with West End and Broadway legend Ramin Karimloo.

Our second and third year students to the stage at iconic London Palladium theatre in an exclusive concert production of Camelot on Sunday 6 February 2022.

Also featuring in the performance is 2013 Trinity Laban vocal graduate Georgi Mottram, who will play Nimue.

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.

The one-night-only performance is presented by Lambert Jackson in association with live music and event promoters Cuffe and Taylor.

Lambert Jackson Creative Director Eliza Jackson comments –

“Lerner and Loewe created the most soaring music with wonderfully descriptive lyrics and to be given the opportunity to bring this story to life at the magnificent London Palladium is something we very much look forward to doing.”

Situated in the heart of the UK’s musical theatre capital, Trinity Laban has an outstanding reputation for rigorous and dynamic performance training. Recent graduates have performed in the West End (Wicked, 42nd Street and Fiddler on the Roof) and in UK and international touring productions such as The Lion King, Ghost, and Rock of Ages.

To find out more about studying at Trinity Laban, visit our Musical Theatre pages

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Image courtesy of Lambert Jackson Productions

L-R: Rebecca Wickes, Luke Walsh, Hanna Qureshi, Luke Brandon

Musical Theatre Alumni Return to West End

Posted 23 September 2021 No Comments

Hannah Qureshi joins Olivier Award-winning Dear Evan Hansen while Tom Brandon, Luke Walsh and Rebecca Wickes delight at West End Live.

After nearly two years of theatres being dark, the West End is back, and our Musical Theatre alumni are once again gracing the boards.

The multi-award-winning Dear Evan Hansen is set to reopen at London’s Noel Coward Theatre on 26 October, with new addition Hannah Qureshi as part of the company covering the roles of Zoe Murphy and Alana Beck.

Hannah shared how “incredibly excited” she is to join the cast in an announcement on Twitter earlier this week.

Meanwhile, fellow Trinity Laban graduates Luke Walsh, Rebecca Wickes and Tom Brandon performed at West End Live on Saturday 18 September.

Rebecca is currently playing Veronic Sawyer in Heathers the Musical, and treated the crowd to a rendition of show-tune ‘Seventeen’:

Luke plays Drew in the UK touring production of upbeat musical Rock of Ages UK. The cast brought rock and roll to Trafalgar Square with a special performance of ‘Crazy’:

Tom is one of the nine all-male cast members of smash-hit Choir of Man, which will be opening at The Arts Theatre in London’s West End on 29 October.

Find out more about studying musical theatre at Trinity Laban.

Announcing our TL Innovation Award Winners 2021

Posted 13 July 2021 No Comments

The unique award sees final-year students pitch artistic and business projects to an expert panel and win professional development support and seed funding.

Launched in 2019 the Innovation Award forms part of the conservatoire’s strategy to help emerging artists develop their voice and innovate in the cultural industries, particularly important as they continue to navigate the ongoing challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year shortlisted applicants pitched their proposals to Nikki Tomlinson, Co-director at Independent Dance, Roger Wilson, Co-founder of Black Lives in Music and former Head of Professional Development at National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and Trinity Laban Principal Anthony Bowne in a bid to win one of six awards.

We are pleased to announce that the 2021 winners are:

Myra Brownbridge – Brilliant Corners
Laudine Dard – Alone, Together
Emily Edwards – Musical Theatre Masterclasses
Anna Nicholls – Developing Dance with HAC
Back on The Map Project (Emma Greene and Sunniva Rørvik) – The History of Dance of the African diaspora: A Festival for the young people of Deptford
Tough Boys Disco (Sula Castle, Roseann Dendy and Daisy Hingorani-Short) – Open Dancefloor

The diverse and innovative proposals 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 this year.

“The Innovation Award is one of the many ways in which Trinity Laban are nurturing entrepreneurial and project management skills in early career artists and strengthening our connections with the wider industry.”

Roger Wilson comments –

“This is an important platform for Trinity Laban students to push the envelope and grow as creators. These are tomorrow’s professionals, encouraged to create and realise their ideas with a significant level of support. The impressive scope of creative and innovative ideas assured me that we can look forward to seeing great things from Trinity Laban students.”

Funded by our Higher Education Innovation Fund allocation, each winning project receives an award of £3,000 to use on development and will benefit from a specially tailored 10-month mentorship programme delivered by acclaimed alumni:

Japanese inclusive dance artist, performer, choreographer and dance movement psychotherapist, Takeshi Matsumoto(Transitions 2007)
London-based Polish/German interdisciplinary artist, performer, creative producer, activist, and a Purple Lady Dagmara Bilon (BA 2003)
Independent Arts and Events Manager and co-founder of Black Artists in Dance Joyce Gyimah (BA 2002)
Multi-award-winning saxophonist, conductor and arranger Phil Meadows (BMus jazz sax 2012)
Primary School teacher Annabel Langley (BA MT 2012)
Experimental composer, artist and performer Caitlin Rowley (MMus composition 2013 / MFA Creative Practice 2014)

Innovation Award Co-founder Lucy Nicholson comments –

“Trinity Laban alumni have hugely successful careers across the creative arts industry and over the past two years have given awardees valuable guidance and support as mentors. We are looking forward to welcoming back six more talented alumni to share their expertise with the 2021 winners. It is important for us to continue to strengthen the connections within our creative community to support the future of the performing arts ecology.”

Since its inception, the Innovation Award has already supported twelve 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 have 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.

Dance artist and choreographer Hannah Wallace used her 2021 award to create Groundmarks, a site-specific work supported by London Wildlife Trust exploring the experience of the moving, sensing body within a constantly evolving landscape. She comments –

“The TL Innovation Award was an incredible opportunity to receive at this early stage of my career – it gave me the freedom to take creative risks and supported me to gain valuable experience as an artist and a leader.”

Innovation Award Co-founder Joe Townsend comments –

“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.”

To find out more, visit our Innovation Award webpage.

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

Announcing the Recipients of TL Ignite 2021

Posted 21 June 2021 No Comments

Trinity Laban is supporting 24 emerging local artists to develop their entrepreneurial expertise and establish sustainable careers through one-off grants and bespoke professional support. The scheme strengthens Trinity Laban’s ties with the local creative community, building a vital network to help boost the post-pandemic recovery of performing arts in south east London.

Funded by the Higher Education Innovation Fund, TL Ignite has been specifically designed to reduce the financial barriers for artists entering the industry and help nurture creative innovation and life-long learning.

Selected from over 100 applications, the 2021 TL Ignite awardees are:

Cherise Adams-Burnett – jazz vocalist and composer
Layla Allen – clarinettist and educator
Marcus Alessandrini – dance artist
Laure Dubanet – dance artist
Ieva Dubova – pianist and composer
Chesney Fawkes-Porter – musical theatre podcast creator
Olivia Fraser – oboist
Greta Gauhe – choreographer and dancer
Olivia Graham – singer and composer
Linn Johansson – feminist theatre maker and facilitator
Nicolas Jones – trombonist and founder of The Reel Folks
Rachel Laird – Co-founder of Sliding Doors Collective
Megan Linnell – singer, composer and arranger
Mikaela Livadiotis – pianist
Martha Mitu – violinist and composer
Ewan Moore – drummer
Laura Marie O’Connor – musical theatre writer
Evie Oldham – dance artist
Calum Perrin – sound artist
Teresa Skamletz – dance artist
Shannon Latoyah Simon – classical guitarist, sound healer and multidisciplinary artist
Monica Tolia – multidisciplinary choreographer and visual artist
Jessica Walker – choreographer, movement director and dance artist
Annys Whyatt – theatre-maker

Through seed-funding and a curated programme of knowledge exchange, TL Ignite aims to empower these newly graduated and early-career creatives to identify and realise development opportunities, find new ways to connect with audiences, build their networks and monetise their work.

The recipients, who are all in the first five years of their careers, will use the award for project realisation, digital creation and professional development, enabling engagement with local communities and the creation of new work.

Recipient Jessica Walker comments –

“It means the world to me to know that Trinity Laban truly believes in the work that I want to produce. This award will provide me with the stepping stones to start my own dance company and provide opportunities for other Black contemporary dancers.”

Fellow awardee Annys Whyatt comments –

“Receiving this award is such an exciting opportunity for me and gives me the means to realise a project I have wanted to create for a very long time. I am looking forward to making new creative relationships with other local artists being able to show and share our work with each other.”

Trinity Laban Principal Anthony Bowne comments –

“These 24 early-career artists represent the exceptional wealth of creativity and home-grown talent thriving in south east London. As a world-leading performing arts institution, it is vital that we share our knowledge and expertise with our wider local community to help emerging creative professionals navigate an increasingly challenging arts landscape. TL Ignite provides an opportunity for these emerging artists to enhance their skills, resilience and adaptability so that they can continue to build and contribute to a vibrant post-Covid arts ecology.”

Summer Season Highlights 2021

Posted 30 April 2021 No Comments

Blending virtual and live events, our latest season offers audiences the chance to encounter dance, music and musical theatre in innovative ways.

This summer we are continuing to create performance opportunities for students from across our faculties through a diverse mix of digital and in-person events that showcase the talent of our community.

The season includes fully-staged productions, the return of our annual keyboard festival, exciting collaborations with international choreographers, and multiple digital premieres on our YouTube channel and across social media platforms.

DANCE

The Laban Theatre will play host to several performances this summer, showcasing our contemporary dance students from across our undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts.

Our flagship postgraduate dance company Transitions embarks on its annual UK tour with a programme of 3 New Works choreographed by Dog Kennel Hill Project, Didy Veldman and Rahel Vonmoos. The company will present homecoming performances (3 – 5 June, Laban Theatre) and are set to release a film premiere of the triple bill in July.

The Repertory Project sees second year undergraduate students recreate contemporary dance works by Tony Thatcher, Daniel Squire, Ali Curtis Jones and Sara Wookey across four evenings (15 – 18 June, Laban Theatre).

Final year undergraduate students will work with Matthew Harding, Artistic Director of Urban Interface Dance UK, and South Asian dance practitioner Divya Kasturi, as well as TL’s own Charles Linehan and Stephanie Schober, for Commissioned Works (6 – 9 July, Laban Theatre).

Later in the season, our annual Graduate Showcase returns to Laban Theatre and Laurie Grove, and our BA1 Performance Project, Dance Diploma students and CAT Programme take to the stage. More details to follow.

MUSICAL THEATRE

In May, our final-year Musical Theatre students present two shows at The Albany in Deptford.

Based on Louisa May Alcott’s much-loved classic novel, Little Women (18 & 21 May) focuses on the four March sisters and their beloved Marmee. Intercut with a series of vignettes in which their Massachusetts lives unfold are several recreations of the melodramatic short stories aspiring writer Jo pens in her attic studio.

Tony Award-nominated, The Addams Family (26, 27 & 29 May) is a musical comedy with music and lyrcis by Andrew Lippa based on the infamously ghoulish American family created by cartoonist Charles Addams. The show depicts the machinations of an eclectic cast of gothic characters as they deal with their relationships, old and new.

Both shows will have socially distanced live audiences and be livestreamed. Further information on tickets is available on The Albany website.

In June, our second-year Musical Theatre students present Half A Sixpence at Blackheath Halls (14 – 19 June). The show follows Arthur Kipps, an orphan who unexpectedly inherits a fortune, and climbs the social ladder before losing everything and realizing that you just can’t buy happiness.

MUSIC

Curated by Douglas Finch, the New Lights Piano Festival has earned a reputation for showcasing a diverse range of composed and improvised contemporary music for keyboard, electronic and avant-garde instruments. This year, audiences can enjoy a mix of pre-recorded events from across the globe and live evening concerts streamed from the Peacock Room, all available for free on TL YouTube (17 – 18 June).

Highlights include a live performance by the Helix Trio, Christos Fountos’s digital premiere of commissioned work by Canadian composer Rodney Sharman and the return of Yuka Takechi’s Winter Light / Ephemera for Piano performed by Yukiko Shinohara.

Catch Trinity Laban Brass Ensemble at Deal Festival 2021 (1 – 17 July), where they will premiere their pre-recorded digital performances of J.S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor (arr P.White) and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (arr Howarth) conducted by Phil White.

Our postgraduate vocal students will be delighting live audiences with Rosina’s Lovers (30 June – 1 July), two outdoor concerts of operatic excerpts from John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versaille, Massenet’s Chérubin, Milhaud’s La mère coupable, Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro performed in an around King Charles Court.

Trinity Laban Symphony Orchestra returns to Blackheath Halls (24 June) for Brahms Symphony No. 2, under the baton of Austrian conductor and Music Director Designate of the Oregon Symphony, David Danzmayr.

The summer seasons also sees music students compete in two of TL’s most prestigious competitions. Following the success of last year’s digital iteration, the Daryl Runswick Competition returns to YouTube for 2021 with a film featuring the finalist’s works and adjudication (21 May).

Instrumentalists will compete at Blackheath Halls in May to win the coveted Soloists’ Competition, a prize that sees them play a concerto with the TLSO.

Other upcoming digital releases include performances by Trinity Laban Jazz Orchestra and Trinity Laban Chamber Choir. Catch The Old Royal Naval College Trinity Laban Chapel Choir’s live broadcast on BBC Radio 3 (5 May).

Alongside our one-off events and digital release, we hope to resume our programme of weekly lunchtime concerts at the ORNC Chapel from 18 May and St Alfege, Greenwich from 20 May, and as well as a programme of lunchtime livestreams. More details coming soon, including the end of year performance from our Junior Trinity students in July.

Information regarding our events may change, subject to future social distancing measures and government guidelines.

We’ll be adding more to What’s On as details are confirmed. To keep up to date, please check our What’s On pages and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

One Half of Two

Posted 27 April 2021 No Comments

TL Musical Theatre students bring new digital play to life at The Cockpit theatre.

Devised and produced by an all-female team of Trinity Laban BA (Hons) Musical Theatre students, One Half of Two is a powerful debut following three women grappling with the aftermath of love.

Written by Phoebe Noble, the semiautobiographical show comprises a series of monologues inspired by her experience as a spoken word poet. Phoebe comments –

“The first monologue was performed at a TL student union event called The Platform. If it hadn’t been for that I wouldn’t have had the confidence to write One Half of Two. When I shared it with female friends and family, they wept alongside me. None of us realised we all felt the same way. Single women are not alone or unfulfilled. They are not to be pitied by married peers or belittled for their choice of dating site and they definitely do not live a life without love. I hope that anyone who watches this, no matter how they identify, redefines their idea of love and welcomes it.”

Director Holly McConville comments –

“The biggest thing to take away is the complexity of finding self-love and how accomplished you feel when you get there. There is a story in the play that everyone can relate to, relationships are so much more than romantic and that really struck home with me. I couldn’t think of a better show for my debut as a director.

Trinity Laban’s Musical Theatre department teaches us about multiple aspects of the industry, including the creative side. It helped me realise my passion for directing. The skills and techniques I have gained from my training over the last two years have shaped me, both as an actor and a director.”

After a challenging year that has disrupted education, the creative team were inspired to create their own original work and share it on a digital format.

Phoebe explains how performing to camera rather than a live audience presented new challenges –

“We worked with four cameras and tried to block the show to include them and create exciting visuals, rather than pretending they’re weren’t there. It has been an incredible learning experience.”

Filmed in The Cockpit theatre’s Marylebone auditorium, the production will enjoy a limited on-demand run from 1 – 8 May 2021.

Joining Phoebe and Holly in the cast are fellow TL Musical Theatre students Emily Rayner and Alex Hill.

“We wanted to achieve something during this pandemic that we can really be proud of. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and Trinity Laban for encouraging us.”

To find out more and book tickets, visit The Cockpit website.

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Image credit: Jack Etheridge

TL alum to star in Heathers the Musical UK Tour

Posted 9 April 2021 No Comments

Musical Theatre alum Rebecca Wickes joins the cast of Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy’s musical as Veronica Sawyer for a new touring production.

Based on the iconic film of the same name, Heathers the Musical follows high school student Veronica as she tries to fit in with the elitist clique of girls.

The show is set to open at Leeds Grand Theatre on 28 July 2021 where it will have a three week run before visiting locations across the UK including Liverpool, Nottingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Birmingham, Canterbury, Bristol, Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, Milton Keynes, High Wycombe, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

Since graduating from Trinity Laban with a BMus (Hons) in 2018, Rebecca has performed the role of Scaramouche/Soubrette in We Will Rock You and Katherine Howard in Six with Royal Caribbean Productions.

In an Instagram post announcing her latest casting, Rebecca comments –

“[I] Can’t believe I’m going to be that Dead Girl Walking… I honestly have no words for this, I can’t even begin to explain how grateful and excited I am to have the opportunity to work on this incredible show.”

Also announced was 2019 Musical Theatre graduate Jake Lomas’ casting as Bob in the brand-new West End production of Billionaire Boy. The dramatisation of David Walliams’ best-selling children’s book will premiere at the Garrick Theatre from 17 July.

Find out more about studying Musical Theatre at Trinity Laban.

Image: Rebecca Wickes (credit Nicholas Dawkes)