MJUK, a local youth theatre company based in Cirencester, is celebrating its 10th year and is embarking on its most ambitious project to date; a new musical: The Clockmaker’s Daughter, by Webborn and Finn.
It has recently had rave reviews at its London debut at the Landor theatre, achieving five star reviews.
Sharing the leading role of Constance are two talented sisters from Ashton Keynes Ellie and Iona Burston (18 and 16 years old).
The Clockmaker’s Daughter tells the story of a widowed Clockmaker.
A tormented genius, he is out of place in a town where each day mirrors the last and the people are content. But Abraham Reed has a secret... something the simple folk of the town below must never discover.
Through methods hidden even from himself, the Clockmaker has created something much, much more than a machine...
MJUK founder Maria Jagusz said: “I have not heard such an enthralling score from a new musical as The Clockmaker’s Daughter.
“MJUK have been part of the complete journey having hosted workshops last year here in Cirencester, and then seeing it make its professional London debut. It now returns to Cirencester with our own exciting production.
“What a great opportunity for the next generation of Cotswold theatrical talent”.
A new addition to the MJUK production team this year is star of West End stage and the Oscar winning film, Les Miserables, Iwan Lewis who has recently set up a local theatre academy and production company, StageSmart providing tuition in singing, acting and dance.
Iwan and his StageSmart team will be providing the MJUK students with a taste of the professional world of musical theatre.
Iwan said: “The Clockmaker’s Daughter combines the most magical elements of a Disney story with the musical class of Les Miserables, and I have no doubt that the audiences that come to Cirencester are in for a theatrical treat.
“Having been a member of MJUK 10 years ago I know how incredible the local talent is, so I jumped at the chance to collaborate with Maria to put on The Clockmaker’s Daughter”.
Referring to the casting of Ellie and Iona Burston, he said :“Constance is such a vocally and dramatically challenging role that I never thought we would find the right girl, but we found two, in the same family.
We couldn’t decide between them, so we went with both. Ellie and Iona will share the role and have two performances each being sisters I’m sure that they are very used to sharing things.”
- The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Webborn and Finn is on August 13-15 at the Bingham Hall, Cirencester.
- Tickets are on sale from Thursday, July 2 and are available from mjuk.com and Cirencester Visitor Information Centre (01285 654180).
- To hear Ellie and Iona singing ‘Story of my own’ from The Clockmaker’s Daughter please go to mj-uk.com from Thursday, July 2
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