Olly Novello is the composer and orchestrator of new musical, The Verge of Forever, which will play at The Other Palace this month.
Olly Novello stars alongside Scarlett Ayers the world premiere of ‘The Verge of Forever’, the new musical that follows the love story of Leo and Marie, two talented teenagers who share a passion for theatre, as they embark on their journey through the challenging world of drama school auditions.
The Verge of Forever is at The Other Palace 8 – 20 August 2023.
The Verge of Forever is coming to The Other Palace, what can you tell us about it?
The Verge of Forever is about the plight of two aspiring actors. The desire to be an actor is, put simply, a challenging path. Mention this desire to a careers adviser, and the eyes roll, the sweat bubbles on the forehead, and hyperventilation is not uncommon.
The careers adviser wants you to fit into a box – a box to tick, so that you can rent a box in which to live until you own it and, yes, eventually end up in a box in the ground. I wrote this show for the people whose lives and loves aren’t in boxes. The Verge of Forever is dedicated to those who dare to be different and whose lives exist in other, more complex formations.
What inspired you to compose this new musical?
This topic has been on my mind for a while. It is the story of so many performers but is so seldom acknowledged. I came up with the idea whilst sitting through a mind-numbing voice class and saw the show in an instant. It seemed to me that it would have a heady cocktail of faux-pas and cockups of GARGANTUAN proportions that should entertain and express my feelings towards this peculiar world.
Composing runs in the family, how did you get started and what do you love most about what you do?
My father is a composer! He was a resident entertainer on the QE2 for seven years, during which time he worked alongside and learned from Leonard Bernstein, Victor Borge, and Michael Crawford.
He showed me the ropes, what a great song should sound like, and my tutor – Craig Laszkowicz – showed me the rules of harmony and how to use a classical understanding of music to form the basis of a good, non-classical melody. I love finding complex characters and emotions and seeing how they should be expressed through music. Composing is pure JOY!
The show is about drama school students and you’ve studied at drama school yourself, what did you enjoy most, and find most challenging, about writing about this subject?
I certainly did! The most difficult thing in the world of drama schools is getting in. Thousands of people vie every year for a small number of spaces and it really is a rollercoaster journey. Writing about that was fairly easy because I remember every single feeling.
You’ll also star in the production alongside Scarlett Ayers, what are you most enjoying most about working with Scarlett?
Scarlett is an INCREDIBLE performer. She was on my foundation course with me so we both experienced the highs and lows together! Our director (Gerry Tebbutt) was also our course leader so knows the topic tremendously well too. I’m thoroughly enjoying bringing the truth of the situation to the stage with this amazing team.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see The Verge of Forever?
The Verge of Forever is a very peculiar show – hopefully in a good way. You will see two characters fight for their dreams and make lots of mistakes along the way. Not all of us get things right the first time, in fact, most people never get things right at all, but they still blunder their way through life quite happily.
The show is not for everyone but it is for those who wish to rebel against convention and frame their world in a different way. It is for those who like and wish to exist in more complex life formations. A pyramid, a diamond, a heart, or a sphere – anything but a box.
