About Me

A Little Bit About Me

As I lure you further into my cyber-space, how on earth do I begin to select career highlights so far, in just a couple of enticing bite-sized paragraphs?

It has been my good fortune to have worked with so many wonderfully creative people and on a fabulous assortment of productions.  This has been both in the subsidised sector, and in the commercial sector - as a musician and/or Assistant Musical Director on Disney’s Beauty & The Beast, Les Miserables, Cats, Evita, Guys & Dolls, Aspects of Love, Cabaret, Grease, Scrooge and  Copacabana to name but a few, and as a Musical Director on many others.  All-in-all a wonderful variety of ‘classical’ and contemporary musical theatre, and on great plays with great music.

You will find a lot more detail on the MY WORK page, including both a downloadable Full CV and Condensed CV/biog.
So if you wish to 'cut to the chase' you can CLICK HERE ...to head straight there...

Or, to reel you in further, here are just a few tasty and varied pieces of bait...

Freelance M.D. for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford Upon Avon, London and the USA – includes work with Artistic Director Greg Doran , directors David Farr (writer of McMafia  and  The Night Manager for the BBC) and Dominic Cooke , and award-winning theatre/film composers Paul Englishby , Gary Yershon and Adrian Lee .

Other recent Musical Direction includes Bath Theatre Royal (directors Adrian Noble and Lotte Wakeham , BBC Young Composer Winner Thomas Hewitt Jones and theatre/film composer Shaun Davey ), Hammersmith Lyric (director Sean Holmes ), The New Vic (verbatim theatre exponent Alecky Blythe , director Theresa Heskins ), and many other directors from inspiring veterans like the late great  Michael Bogdanov to bright young luminaries like Blanche McIntyre .

To drop just a few more names, work as MD with an eclectic variety of actors and performers has included  Sir Antony Sher , Dame Harriet Walte r, Michael Sheen, Kenneth Cranham,  Henry Goodman,  Matthew Kelly  and  Mel Giedroyc,  along with a host of top-drawer musical theatre performers. 

And from 2016 - 17 a year as Associate Music Director to Mike Dixon for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of May's 4th Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku's 70,000 seat stadium, Azerbaijan.  Music recorded at Abbey Road with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Many thanks to those colleagues who have contributed so generously to my TESTIMONIALS page.

EDUCATION, INFLUENCES and LEARNING MY CRAFT

I studied in the legendary creatively enriching environment of The University of Hull where I had the opportunity of exploring and blending the disciplines of music and drama.  I dived into a melting pot of inspiring great minds – a broad selection of lecturers and influences including playwright/film-maker Anthony Minghella , poet laureate Andrew Motion and librarian/poet Philip Larkin .  

This combination of music, theatre and a love of good writing has fed into my life and work ever since.  

Within days of graduating I started work in the inventive world of fringe and small-scale theatre, including with colleagues who have since carved out careers as successful TV producers/directors.  And I haven’t really stopped ever since ...touch wood!

I went on to develop my craft as a musician and MD by working as a pianist/keyboard player and as an Assistant MD on many larger theatre productions – watching, listening to and learning from a host of wonderful MD’s and musicians.  And, to state the obvious, you never stop learning ...I still haven't ...and never will! 

HOW I WORK

I greatly enjoy working with musicians, performers of all disciplines, and all other members of creative and production teams.

And as someone who has worked extensively as both a ‘muso’ and an MD, I know only too well what a band and cast require from an MD.
 
In music and in theatre, one of the keys to leading a productive and happy team is knowing how best to draw on and to maximize the skills and abilities of your talented colleagues.  Everyone’s contribution to the ‘process’ is important.

I have also often worked with actors who would not consider themselves to be singers.  In such situations, whilst helping them with their technique, my job is to give them the confidence that they can sing as required for their particular performances.

Furthermore I have a good understanding of the role of music within theatre – it is one part, albeit an important part, of a collaborative whole.
   

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