[bob8rich]

Based On A True Story, a brand new musical black comedy that examines the question "how far will a writer go to be famous?", will receive a one night showcase staging at the Jermyn Street Theatre on Sunday January 31, 2010 at 8 PM. This tale of lust, murder and a touch of writer's block is the work of composer/lyricist Christopher J. Orton and librettist/lyricist Robert Gould.

The show's twelve strong cast will include principals Dominic Tighe (a former member of classic boy band Blake and more recently Nanki Poo in Craig Revel Horwood's highly acclaimed UK tour production of The Hot Mikado), Claire Marie Hall (whose West End credits include Cosette in Les Miserables and Gabriella in High School Musical) and newcomer Sophie Bloom. Other cast members of the show will include Jodie Beth Meyer, Jonathan Sterling, Cathryn Short, Stephanie Callow, John Stivey, Dan Byrne, Adam Walker and Leanne Howell. Further casting will be announced shortly.


"Will is a 19 year old intelligent, egocentric writer, scarred by an emotionally traumatic childhood, struggling to find inspiration. The opening scene finds him staring at the blank first page of his first play, while his "Brain" (a group of singers who act as a kind of Greek Chorus throughout) rants about his lack of inspiration.

When he receives a visit from Jane, a neurotic neighbour who secretly holds a torch for him, Will suddenly realizes that his much needed inspiration is staring him in the face. He decides to write his play "based on a true story", beginning with the life and character of Jane. He accompanies Jane to her group therapy session, where he finds further inspiration from the disparate group of "loonies" who attend the Group - including Tanya, a nymphomaniac; Brad, a shy and disturbed young gay guy; and Tom, the group therapist, who seems to be as neurotic as his patients. In order to fully experience everything in life he needs to in order to write his play, Will begins to have sexual encounters with members of the group - and his psychopathic nature is revealed as he begins to kill them!

When Will meets Rebecca, an attractive but emotionally fragile young woman who lives with Tom, for the first time he discovers love and appears to begin to change, until events unfortunately take a different course and both his play and this musical head for a bloody and dramatic climax.

You may not have to be mad to be writer - but you would definitely be mad to miss this show!"