First ever computer generated musical announced

It's an intriguing question: could a computer create a successful musical? Now we may find out, with the world premiere of Beyond the Fence, a new musical conceived and crafted by a computer.

The piece has been created following a statistical study of the recipe for success in hit musicals. Dr James Robert Lloyd, Dr Alex Davies and Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter from Cambridge University looked at aspects of musicals from cast size to backdrop to emotional structure.

Several central premises were generated by the What-If Machine at Goldsmiths, University of London and the premise 'What if a wounded soldier had to learn how to understand a child in order to find true love?' was chosen for the work.

The plot structure was also created through a computer and the book and lyrics were written around the plot. The music was provided by Dr Nick Collins, who created a computer composition system he calls Android Lloyd Webber, and writers Benjamin Till and Nathan Taylor.

Directed by Luke Sheppard, the show will run at the Arts Theatre in the West End between 22 February and 5 March 2016. The process of creating the work will be filmed and shown on Sky Arts as part of their series Computer Says Show.

Beyond the Fence tells the story of Mary and her daughter at Greenham Common peace camp in 1982. Committed to stopping the arrival of US cruise missiles, Mary must face the possibility of losing her child to the authorities, when US Airman Jim Meadow becomes an unlikely ally.

Beyond the Fence opens from 26 February – 5 March at the Arts Theatre.

Watch the trailer here