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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