Some of the Epidemic company
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Going large: How to stage a musical about obesity, with a company of 120

It's not everyday you get to see an epic musical on the subject of obesity, performed by a company of 120. But that's precisely what's happning with Epidemic, which opens this weekend (20 May 2012) in the Old Vic Tunnels.

Led by producer Steve Winter and writer Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, the show is based on interviews conducted with over 250 Londoners, while Old Vic New Voices has assembled a company of over 120 volunteers aged 16 to 60 to bring it to life.

Here, Winter, Malcolm and one of the actors, Bill Noce, tell us more about this most ambitious of projects, which runs until 27 May.

Steve Winter (Director, Old Vic New Voices):
Our Epidemic started 18 months ago by asking 500 Londoners a simple question: what do you care about? We got on soap boxes on London estates, held group workshops, creative writing sessions, pitched up at after school clubs and joined rice and peas lunches with pensioners. As you can imagine, we got a variety of different responses, but time and again the same issues kept coming up: weight and mental health. Not exactly themes you might associate with a musical but nevertheless those were the ones we had and in fact excited us.

Steve Winter

We are always astounded by people’s honesty and so thrilled when we find someone special like the cheeky 16-year-old whose mother has been in and out of hospital all his life, whose care is down to him, whose life has not yet begun and who sees the opportunity to perform in our production as something he's not sure he even deserves? You say welcome, and just hope you can live up to his expectations.

“
Auditions were inspiring, surprising, exciting and occasionally just downright strange”

Come along, won’t you? It’s gloriously infectious.

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (Writer)
How do you make a musical about mental health and obesity without it being either massively preachy and boring or disrespectful and insulting to those dealing with these issues every day? I'll be honest it has been a daunting task and not one without worries but the goodwill and good intentions of the project and those working on it have been my guide. And really what has been astonishing is just how prevalent both issues are in most people's lives. And what I wanted was to create a story that would deal with the facts and realities but also didn't shy away from the epic and universal nature of the subject matter.

The Epidemic company

Essentially the show centers on journeys; both physical and emotional, and as a writer it's been a journey for me not least because it's the 'biggest' show I've every written. A challenge and a joy but what has been the most wonderful thing is just how enthusiastic and engaged each and every member of the cast and production team has been from the start. It's not just been about putting on a musical, it's also been about engaging in the subject matter and why it matters to us all. And these issues really do matter, they really could be the making or breaking of us. I hope our musical inspires further discussion and thought. I truly feel that the subject deserves that.

Bill Noce – playing Lawrence
So often, "community outreach" or education programmes developed and run by Arts organisations are, at best, well-intentioned near-misses, or, at worst, flimsy shams meant to satisfy some remit of government funding or grant requirement. Epidemic, the community musical produced by Old Vic New Voices, is quite different; it is a true, organic

Bill Noce in rehearsals

I must admit when I heard the premise - a musical, based on the theme of public health - I wasn't sold, even though I knew of Old Vic New Voices’ reputation of inventive and relevant community projects; I had a small part in PLATFORM, the 2010 production, and found it a strikingly different and thoroughly engrossing experience; but really, a musical about disease and public health policy?

But I should have known; never underestimate the power of art to address the human condition, our issues of life and death and, in this case, health. Epidemic holds up the mirror to poke and prod, to spoof and to satirise, albeit with affection rather than condemnation; Puck's comment in A Midsummer Night's Dream of "Lord what fools these mortals be" comes to mind. Epidemic is a story about a few memorable characters on a journey, meeting other people and growing and learning along the road; in a way, all the stories we love are about just that.

“
It is searingly painful sometimes, and I've left the stage more than once to have a good cry”

The lead character in this play is a young mentally Ill man; I lost my younger brother, a suicide, 28 years ago, when he was about the same age as Marlon, the boy in the play. I see the same look in the eyes of the actor, the brilliant Joey Ellis, as I did in my brother those years ago. It is searingly painful sometimes, and I've left the stage more than once to have a good cry; but in the end, my experience on stage with the character of this troubled boy is a powerful catalyst, bringing an acceptance and healing which decades could not grant me.

I've blogged about my feelings, my turmoil and soul-searching, and I am surprised at the number of cast members who have come to me to tell me they are having similar experiences to me. We are receiving a charm, a blessing - with tons of laughs and love along the way.

Related Content

Booking Tickets & Show Listings
	Epidemic Listing Page

External Links
	Old Vic Tunnels website

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