Imaginary
Book & Lyrics Timothy Knapman
Music & Lyrics Stuart Matthew Price
Commissioned and performed by the National Youth Music Theatre
A moving, funny and inspiring new musical about the wonder of childhood, and the struggle to hold on to that wonder as you grow up.
Chaotic, open-hearted and imaginative Milo is Sam’s only friend. They do everything together. But as Sam’s first day at secondary school approaches, his mum is worried that the mischievous Milo is holding her son back, stopping him from growing up.
School turns out to be full of surprises – and secrets. Can Sam and Milo’s friendship survive in this new world, where a painful revelation threatens to change their lives forever?
For 40 years the award-winning National Youth Music Theatre has represented the very best in work with young people in musical theatre, leading Andrew Lloyd Webber to describe it as “the best youth music theatre in the world”.
Performances 9th-12th August at The Other Palace, London
Book tickets: www.theotherpalace.co.uk/whats-on/imaginary
On Twitter: twitter.com/imaginaryUK
Danny Hero
A New Musical
Book & Lyrics
Timothy Knapman
Music & Lyrics
Laurence Mark Wythe
Danny McIntyre lives with his mum in a provincial town that has a great industrial past and an uncertain future.
But where Danny truly lives is in his head - in a wonderful fantasy world where he is a powerful superhero, sent to Earth from outer space to defend the human race and fight for all that is true and just.
When a charismatic businessman turns up, promising to revitalise the town and bring it new prosperity, almost everyone is taken in - but not Danny. He tries to show them the truth, but his words and actions are twisted by his enemies until Danny stands alone. Can he find the strength to become the hero he's always dreamed of being, and save the town and the people he loves?
This hilarious, action-packed, heart-warming musical won a Made In Corby competition and is produced by Perfect Pitch
Performed at the Core at Corby Cube October 26th-29th 2016
Midnight
A New Musical
Book & Lyrics
Timothy Knapman
Music & Lyrics
Laurence Mark Wythe
Based on "Citizens of Hell" by Elchin
As the clock ticks towards midnight on New Year’s Eve, a husband and wife talk nervously about what the future holds for them and their fellow citizens.
Welcome to Azerbaijan, part of the police state of the Soviet Union in the dying minutes of 1937. The past year has been the worst of the Great Terror, in which the paranoid dictator Joseph Stalin unleashed wave upon wave of arrests. Millions have been tortured and executed. Informants and spies are everywhere. No one knows who to trust.
And then comes the dreaded knock on the door. Is it the NKVD, the state’s ruthless secret police? Or a far more mysterious – and terrifying – visitor? Dark secrets emerge, time is suspended and the husband and wife are tested to breaking point – and beyond…
Directed by Matthew Gould, this three hander – with an actor-musician ensemble – is based on an original play, “Citizens of Hell” by the great Azerbaijani writer Elchin. In adapting Elchin’s parable, Timothy Knapman and Laurence Mark Wythe have created a shatteringly unforgettable musical.
Directed by Matthew Gould
Produced by Aloff Theatre
Showcase performance: St James Theatre Studio 9th October 2015
twitter.com/MidnightLDN
****"a great show"
West End Wilma
"devilishly good fun"
"**** "exceptional... this is an exciting and edgy musical"
Before After
A Musical Love Story
Music & Lyrics
Stuart Matthew Price
Book & Additional Lyrics
Timothy Knapman
Everybody has one great lost love. They broke our hearts, they haunt our dreams and we will never, ever forget them. But what if fate gave you another chance? Do you think you’d get things right the second time around?
Ami meets Ben by a tree on a beautiful hillside. She recognises him instantly – they were once very much in love. But Ben doesn’t remember her at all. What went so terribly wrong in the past, and is there a chance that, in the present, these two lovers might just find their happy ever after after all?
Before After UK Studio Cast Recording
"A strong British musical with clear storytelling and a great deal of heart."
"a clever story, and one I would like to see... a very immersive experience, and one that I can do no more than recommend to any theatre enthusiast." 9 out of 10!
"A real humdinger! Wonderful concept, fantastic music, clever lyrics, stunning cast – what more could you want?"
Musical Theatre Review
Buy CD: http://www.simgproductions.com/Records/Before_After.html
Starring Hadley Fraser and Caroline Sheen
Directed by Simon Grieff
Produced by United Theatrical
Supported by Arts Council England
Showcase performances at St James Theatre Studio
First performed in Tokyo by Musical-Za 14th November 2014
www.musical-za.co.jp/before_after/stage15.htm
www.facebook.com/Beforeaftermusical
"elegant... it had an immediacy and clarity... it also came to thrilling vocal and acting life" Mark Shenton, The Stage
www.thestage.co.uk/opinion/shenton/2014/10/musicals-audience-open-paying-public/
"a cleverly constructed libretto... a great achievement... I do hope this intimate musical continues to blossom and finds it way to a full production in the not too distant future." Lisa Martland, Musical Theatre Review
musicaltheatrereview.com/before-after-st-james-studio-theatre/#.VCvFtBawRFs
A Christmas Carol
Adapted for the stage by Timothy Knapman
Carols arranged by Alex Silverman, new lyrics by Timothy Knapman
Directed by Charlotte Conquest
Commissioned and first produced by Creation Theatre Company
“This striking Creation Theatre adaptation... this fine show” Nick Utechin, The Oxford Times
“works a treat... A Christmas show to warm the heart of any miser” The Stage
***** “fantastically atmospheric... wonderfully inventive... This is what theatre should be, inventive, witty and filled with great storytelling” UK Theatre Web
“First class... worked perfectly... full of comedy... the audience were in hysterics... one of the most enjoyable shows of the year, don’t miss out” Daily Info, Oxford
By Alex Silverman, Timothy Knapman and Ed Jaspers
Directed by Ryan McBrydeProduced by Eleanor Lloyd
**** “Gleefully inventive and irreverent...See it or Elsinore” Edinburgh Evening News
****“A gloriously executed spoof of Shakespeare’s finest tragedy... Sprinkled with stardust... Book early to avoid disappointment” Dail Mail
“Hamlet! the Musical at the Richmond was infectiously insanely enjoyable. Somehow contrived to be true to Hamlet and to be blissfully funny.” Stephen Fry
“Very, very funny. No praise can be too extravagant.” Simon Callow
“Funny and uplifting... Go and see Hamlet! The Musical” Financial Times
“Madcap... A lot of jokes” New York Times
“Absurdly clever... there is wit, as well as silliness, in the lyrics... very funny” Guardian
“The cast of six, with a live band, takes us through Hamlet as fast-moving romp, packed with big musical numbers, glitzy costumes, pop-culture references” Scotsman
**** “Terrific. Six performers and a six-piece band romp their way through the Bard’s classic retold (for the better IMHO) through musical theatre in 70 minutes” West End Whingers
***** “An electrifying rollercoaster ride.. A hit, a very palpable hit!” thepublicreviews.co.uk
**** Whatsonstage.com
**** Three Weeks
**** Scotsgay
**** Musical Theatre Matters
@HamletTM
First performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 2010
Performed at the Royal & Derngate Northampton and Richmond Theatre 2011
The cast recording can be bought from iTunes
Gilbert and Sullivan: All At Sixes and Sevens
By Timothy Knapman
With music by Arthur Sullivan and lyrics by WS Gilbert
Gilbert and Sullivan are giants in the history of musical theatre. World famous in their lifetimes, they are, if anything, even more popular now. Their comic operas are timeless masterpieces of 'topsy-turvy': each a little world of enchanted nonsense, brimming with hilarity, satire and immortal songs.
But their collaboration was, famously, a stormy one. This witty and elegant play explores what made them such a combustible mixture. As Sullivan calls upon Gilbert one last time, the two men recall their careers together, performing favourite numbers from a host of their works.
An affectionate tribute and a heartfelt celebration of a very particular kind of English genius.
Featuring songs from Iolanthe, HMS Pinafore, The Gondoliers, The Yeomen of the Guard, The Mikado, Princess Ida, Patience, Utopia Unlimited, Ruddigore and The Grand Duke.
First performed at the Maldon Festival of Arts, 2010
Performed at the King’s Head Theatre, Islington 2011
“it worked extremely well as a charming form of both tribute and biography... beautifully done... a genuine warmth for its subjects”. oughttobeclowns.blogspot.com
www.gilbertandsullivantheplay.com
The Stag King
By Timothy Knapman, after Carlo Gozzi
At his christening, an infant king is presented with two enchanted gifts. The first will lead him to true love. The second could destroy him. Granted the power to transform himself into any creature, the king is tricked and betrayed by his devious prime minister.
To win back his crown and the woman he loves he must learn the true value of everything he has until then taken too lightly. Timothy Knapman's dark, delicious adaptation of Carlo Gozzi's fairytale conjures a winter wonderland bursting with playboy kings, lie-detecting statues, feisty maidens, second-rate sorcerers and bloodthirsty politicians.
"Enchanting... I left the venue with a beaming smile and an infectious good mood which lasted all afternoon. 'The Stag King' is everything a Fringe children's show should be: hilarity and happiness with pure, pure magic."
"Darkly magical... and imaginative show, which both challenges and enchants." The Stage
First performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 2010
The Smallest Person
By Timothy Knapman
Music by David Bruce
Commissioned and first performed by Trestle Theatre Company
Based on the true story of Caroline Crachami, the 50 cm tall “Sicilian Fairy” who was the sensation of the London season of 1823. A tale of freaks and tiny heroes, musicians, villains, doctors and kings – told with masks, puppetry, movement and music.
“Unforgettable… A source of wonder” The Times
“Beautiful, poignant and moving… A touching story, vividly told” The Scotsman
First performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and on a national tour, 2004
Broken Promise
By Timothy Knapman
Winner of the 1989 Brighton Polytechnic Young Playwrights Award
“this extraordinary first play… darkly observed and sparklingly literate work, the best of a fine crop… startlingly confident… A fascinating work, full of a young man’s joy in language… A writer of great promise” Jack Tinker, Daily Mail
First performed at the Finborough Arms Theatre Club, 1990
Music Projects
Tim has worked for many years as a lyricist, translator and adaptor on a diverse range of musical projects
With I Fagiolini: Tim’s association with the singing group I Fagiolini goes back more than 20 years, and they have performed his work at the Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, at the Stour Early Music Festival, the York Early Music Festival, the Brighton Festival, the Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music, the Bermuda Festival, the BBC Proms, on CD and DVD.
Projects include:
The Spell (Text inspired by Canto XVI of Torquato Tasso’s Gerusalemme Liberata, with music by Orlando Gough) commissioned and first performed by I Fagiolini, commission sponsored by PRS for Music Foundation and the National Centre for Early Music
**** “explosive... quirky and imaginative” The Times
Damnalot! and Una parola nell’orecchio/A Word in Your Ear (music by Roderick Williams); O Gramo Pantalon/Poor Luckless Pantaloon (music by Giovanni Croce)
“a wonderful send-up” Daily Telegraph
La Pazzia Senile/The Mad Old Git, Barca di Venetia a Padova/A Boat From Venice To Padua and Festino nella sera del Giovedì grasso avanti cena/The Little Carnival Party (music by Adriano Banchieri); L’Amfiparnaso/The Twin Peaks of Parnassus (music by Orazio Vecchi)
“A sparkling accomplishment” Fanfare
“Witty, scurrilous introductions” Classical Net Review
Available on DVD with introductions performed by Simon Callow www.chandos-records.com
Also: rhyming text for King Arthur (music by Henry Purcell) performed at Dartington International Summer School and Spitalfields Festival (also Radio 3); rhyming text for The Fairy Queen (music by Henry Purcell) and Acis and Galatea (music by George Frideric Handel) for the Trigonale Festival of Early Music, Austria
With Handmade Opera: adaptations of Le Nozze di Figaro/The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte/Thus Do All Women (music by WA Mozart) and Il barbieri di Siviglia/The Barber of Seville (music by Gioachino Rossini) performed at Cliveden, Wantage and the Howden Festival
With the composer Richard Peat: I’m The King of the Castle (opera adapted from the novel by Susan Hill) performed in the Holywell Music Room, Oxford; Why Did God? (The Dream of St Anselm) performed in Canterbury Cathedral; Fiery The Angels performed in St Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, commissioned by the John Armitage Memorial Trust