Production images have been released today for Babies, a new British coming-of-age musical at The Other Palace until 14 July 2024, produced by Crossroads Live (The Bodyguard, Annie, Chicago, Cats, The Drifters Girl ) and theatre development company Indigo Productions (led by James Lane and Ed McGovern).
Casting for this fresh, heart-wrenching musical about identity, friendship and growing up is as follows: Ashley Goh (Alex), Bradley Riches (Toby), Grace Towning (Cover Leah/Grace/Becky), Jaina Brock-Patel (Becky), Lauren Conroy (Jasmine), Lucy Carter (Lulu), Max Mulrenan (Ben), Morgan Phillips (Alternate Toby, Cover Jacob/Ben), Nathan Johnston (Jacob), Rowan Macpherson (Cover Jasmine/Alex/Lulu), Viola Maisey (Grace), and Zoë Athena (Leah).
With music and lyrics by Jack Godfrey (42 Balloons, This Is A Love Story) and book by Martha Geelan, this fully realised production of Babies follows hot on the heels of their sell-out concert series in November 2023 at the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue. Four of the tracks from the infectious pop-rock score including: Baby, Baby, Baby, Hot Dad, Someone Else and Without Saying Goodbye are available to stream and have already been played over 100,000 times.
The full creative team includes: Jack Godfrey (Music and Lyrics), Martha Geelan (Book and Director), Joe Beighton (Orchestrations, Vocal Arrangements & Music Supervisor), Alexzandra Sarmiento (Choreographer), Jasmine Swan (Set and Costume Designer), Paul Gatehouse (Sound Designer), Will Hayman (Lighting Designer), Lauren Hopkinson (Musical Director) Harry Blumenau CGD CDA (Casting Director), Laura Seaborn (Casting Associate), Molly Stacey (Associate Director), Rachel Luff (Associate Lighting Designer), Martyn Sands (Production Manager), Jamie Owens (Props Supervisor) and Sheree Paton (Costume Supervisor).
The journey of Babies began in early 2021 when Martha and Jack submitted one of the songs titled Hot Dad to British Youth Music Theatre (BYMT) for inclusion in the New Music Theatre Award, which it went on to win. As a result, the writing duo were commissioned to finish the musical with the introduction of a wider creative team, including Music Supervisor, Orchestrator and Vocal Arranger, Joe Beighton (SIX), in preparation for an initial run at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, where it played three performances with a cast made up of over 30 talented emerging performers from the BYMT programme in August 2021. Indigo Productions and Crossroads Live then joined the project as commercial producers, with the production still proudly partnered with BYMT and supporting the brilliant work of the charity. Development workshops were held in 2022 and 2023 prior to an appearance at West End Live and the series of concerts in the West End at the Lyric on Shaftesbury Avenue in November 2023.
“The year above got pregnant so we’re doing this instead!”
Summer is done. Year 11 is here. Being a child is out. Being a grown up is in. Time for more parties, more responsibility and, oh yeah…becoming a parent to a plastic robot baby simulator.
After a rise in pregnancies among the year above, the school’s sex education department are compelled to take action. Fuelled by a blistering pop-rock score, Babies follows nine classmates as they take on their most important school project yet: keeping a fake baby alive for an entire week. As the pressures of teenage life collide with the demands of parenting, the students are forced to ask themselves: what is it I really want? who is it I really want to be?
