New civil rights musical I Dream to be workshopped and shown in concert

A new musical about civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy and his friendship with Martin Luther King Jr will be workshopped and presented as a script-in-hand concert.

I Dream has a book, music and lyrics by Douglas Tappin, with additional writing by Jonathan Payne. The workshop production will be directed by Annabel Mutale Reed with music direction by Keith Williams and casting by Heather Basten.

First performed in Atlanta in 2010, a concert version premiered in 2017 in Washington DC. The musical was performed as an opera until 2021, after which it returned to its original form. This workshop marks the first presentation to UK audiences and will run for approximately 80 minutes with no interval, set to a contemporary gospel and soul score.

The full cast and creative team are to be announced. The piece is produced by Musical Dramatic Arts Inc and is general managed by DEM Productions.

I Dream will be performed on Monday, 27 April at The Other Palace. Tickets are available now.