Back in August, I was delighted to have been contacted by the team behind a new musical and invited to feature it here on my blog! I’m always so excited and humbled by this as I’m very conscious that I’m still working on building my presence and establishing myself as an arts writer.
Imagine my surprise and delight then, when a second team got in touch recently, to tell me all about their new musical: Black Widows!
“A brand new, one-act, dark comedy musical written entirely in lockdown by Natalia Lewis, Jack Millier and Elin Miles is coming to life as a concept album. With music ranging from country ballads to big brass numbers, Black Widows tells the story of five murderous, flawed, yet loveable women enduring their life sentences together in a run down, British
prison. In their dark, dingy cell, with rowdy neighbours and hidden secrets, the girls of cell 7A open up to their newest inmate.”
I’m a fan of ballads and big brass numbers so that alone has me excited, but what’s even more exciting is that this piece was written entirely in lockdown, and given the ongoing pandemic and uncertainty over when the industry can return in its fully fledged form, a concept album seems like a great way to spread the word with accessibility in mind! Black Widows was inspired by the rise in domestic abuse cases brought about by the “new normal” where we all currently find ourselves, and it seems like a refreshing way to highlight the issue and engage with it, perhaps encouraging difficult questions and conversations, which in my book is a great thing. To support new writing is as important now as it ever was, and I’m loving that the team wanted to create something with a message whilst tackling a sensitive issue.
The cast are currently in rehearsal ahead of recording the album. They are:
Melanie Bright (Les Miserables, Jesus Christ Superstar, We Will Rock You) as Suzette La Bouche, described as “passionate, outspoken, confident… and very very French.”
Lois Morgan Gay, who is fresh from her debut in the recent concert production of The Pirate Queen! Lois will playing Polly Barton, a “Southern belle with a heart of gold, and no sense at all of how much fake tan is too much!”
Joely Barbour as Camilla Cologne, a “once rich and glamorous socialite who now spends her days desperately trying to instil some class in her fellow convicts. ” Joely trained at Performance Preparation Academy and recently starred in 9 to 5 and the new musical Gretel! at the Other Palace.
Amelia Treble as Trixie Talltower, “a cockney powerhouse of strength and sass (and her fair share of naivety!)”Amelia is currently studying Drama at Exeter university, with feature film (Mum’s List), television (Holby City), and theatre (Ghost The Musical) credits already under her belt.
Rebecca Sharp as Jane Downs, ” The new girl, the quiet one, the one with a secret…” Since her training at Stageworx School of Performing Arts and New Generation Music, Becca has toured the UK in Luv Esther, Broadway Live, and Jazz on Broadway.
Kody Mortimer as The Prison Officer/Husband. “As one of the only voices in the show other than the Black Widows, Kody brings together the world outside cell 7A and believe us, you will not want to be caught causing trouble in your cell with him around!” Kody will also lend his voice to his own unique rendition of Jane’s song “New Life” on the album as a tribute to the often silenced male victims of domestic abuse.
I have had the pleasure of seeing both Melanie & Kody perform already, so I can’t wait to hear them again alongside all these names that are unfamiliar to me, I have a feeling that all these ladies just may be ones I’ll come to know and treasure soon enough! To see a young and predominantly female creative team is also hugely exciting and empowering as a female who’s a fan of and aspires to work in this industry as a career!
Of Black Widows, writers Natalia, Jack & Elin say:
“We are so excited to be rehearsing Black Widows and to be recording the concept album hopefully very soon! We wanted to write something with meaning, and with a message, whilst still making it commercially viable. We really hope audiences feel as inspired and empowered as we do by the
women of cell 7A!”
Keep up to date with Black Widows https://www.blackwidowsmusical.co.uk/
Or on their socials:
IG: @blackwidowsmusical Twitter: @BlackWidowsUK
Wheelie Stagey 