At a special meeting at Windsor Castle on Tuesday 8th May Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gary Barlow officially presented Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with a special anthem they have jointly composed in honour of her Diamond Jubilee.  The song, entitled ‘Sing’, celebrates the Queen’s commitment to the Commonwealth.

Gary and Andrew hope that schools, colleges, amateur choirs and street-party goers will learn the song and be ready to sing it as part of the celebrations in June.  Therefore, the sheet music for ‘Sing’ is  now available for FREE download. Register your details below to receive your copy of ‘Sing’.

‘Sing’ will be performed at the star-studded concert being held outside Buckingham Palace on the 4th June at 7.30pm and will be televised on BBC One. Gareth Malone and his ever-expanding Military Wives Choir will lead the Commonwealth Band in both the recording (released on May 28th) and the Diamond Jubilee Concert. 

For more information on ‘Sing,’ click here.

Please give us your email address below, and we will email you a link to where you can download a free copy of the piano/vocal arrangement ‘Sing’ by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gary Barlow.

To find out more and order your Joseph merchandise, click here.

There is also a brochure available here

The set will only be built if there is sufficient interest from licensees but the target pricing is:

• Base Set (Without Portals)            £ 1995
• Base Set with portals                       £ 2250
• A props and furniture package      £  350

All prices plus vat and transportation.

The set will be available with or without portals in order to accommodate different sized venues.  There will be an optional props package to support the production needs of the show.

The model demonstration video does not show the inset scenes at this stage.  Non flying venues will also be catered for.

To find out more about this exciting project, please contact Scenic Projects directly.

It is a hugely challenging work both in terms of the music itself but also in terms of the subject matter. That made it all the braver for Fusion Theatre to select the piece for its February show.

This was the first ever production of the show by an amateur group and so we were thrilled when the production went so brilliantly. Staff members from Really Useful travelled to Lisburn to see the show and came back to HQ full of praise.

We weren’t the only ones who loved it. The Mayor of Lisburn, Councillor Brian Heading told the newspaper the Ulster Star, “This play is very thought-provoking. I would like to congratulate Fusion Theatre and pass on my thanks to the cast and production team, and to everyone else who made the play so successful. I thoroughly enjoyed the play and know it was extremely popular and I hope the production goes from strength to strength.” You can read a full account at the Ulster Star website.

Huge congratulations to Ian Milford and his team and all of the performers and musicians at Fusion.

The Boys in the Photograph is being prepared for amateur release. More news will be forthcoming soon. Meanwhile, you can read up about the show and listen to some of the music here.

The Phantom of the Opera is available to UK and Eire schools, colleges and universities through Stageamusical.com.

Please read the points below carefully, then click the relevant link to download your Whistle logos.

1. You will be downloading a TIFF file (high quality image) for easy editing
2. The poster is A4 when printing
3. Official logo must not be altered in any way

You can now peruse the Vocal Score online and see if this is the show for your group.  Just click on the link below!

• Online Whistle Perusal Copy

When you apply for a licence you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by the terms of the licence. Please read the document below to familiarize yourself with these terms.

• Licence for Adult Amateur Societies

Perusal Copies

To help you decide whether or not this show is for you, please click on the link below to view extracts from the WHISTLE Piano Vocal score online.

• Online Whistle Perusal Copy
• Online Whistle Perusal Libretto

Full perusal copies are available from our Chester / Novello Hire Library.

- Please contact Chester /Novello 

 Hire Music

You will be entitled to hire music scores and parts once you have obtained your performance licence.

In the UK, music materials for WHISTLE are available from the . Please contact the Chester Novello Hire Library to find out about hire tariffs.

In countries outside of the UK, the agency through whom you obtained the licence will be able to advise you with regard to music materials.

Music Materials Guide

Download a list of instruments required for the Whistle orchestra (coming soon).

Show Merchandise and Further Information

• Listen to clips from the show here
• Buy the original London cast recording on CD
• Buy the vocal selection songbook

Speaking about the release, David Robinson, Head of Licensing at The Really Useful Group said, “We announced in the Autumn of 2011 that we’d be making strides to release as many of Andrew’s works as possible, for amateur and school performances. I am thrilled that we are moving on apace with that project by, today, releasing Whistle Down The Wind for amateur societies.”

Based on the novel by Mary Hayley Bell and subsequent film produced by Richard Attenborough, Whistle Down the Wind follows a group of children who discover an escaped prisoner in a barn, whom they take to be Jesus and vow to protect. The fight between children and adults over the fate of the fugitive is a struggle between bigotry and innocence, updated from the original setting to 1960’s American Deep South.

The sensational score, for 14 players, travels through the rousing gospel opening of The Vaults of Heaven through pulsating rock songs such as Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts, via the lilting melody of the title track Whistle Down the Wind and the song which became a No 1 hit for Boyzone No Matter What.

If you are a Amateur Society in the UK, click here to find out more about how to apply.

We are pleased to announce the release of Evita and Cats to Youth Groups in the UK and Eire today.  Groups with members aged 21 and under can apply for these fantastic shows, the release of which indicates further commitment from The Really Useful Group to the country’s amateur dramatics scene.

Cats was released to high schools and colleges in September 2011 and has proved popular thanks to its evocative score, interesting characters and the opportunity for dance – not to mention its reputation for being one of the longest-running musicals in the world. All these factors also make it ideal for Youth Groups to perform.

Evita, another juggernaut show from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, tells the story of the rise of Eva Peron from Argentine peasant girl to wife of the country’s leader.  In 2006 the original score was updated with Argentine tango flavours for the London production and the show remains one of the most iconic British musicals ever; a hugely enjoyable challenge for anyone prepared to take it on.

 If you are a Youth Group in the UK/Eire with members all aged 21 or under, click here to find out more.

Please read the points below carefully, then click the relevant link to download your Evita poster.

1. You will be downloading a TIFF file (high quality image) for easy editing
2. The poster is A3, and can be reduced to A4 when printing
3. Official Evita logo and contractual billing is included, these must not be altered in any way
4. Space is left at the bottom to add your own text.  This must include the text stipulated in your licence – any queries please contact us
5. We recommend using a Serif Font such as Times or Minion

General Manager of The Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre, Cathy Alaimo, said: ”When we received our prize winnings in early September, our organization was struggling to put together the funds required to pay for royalties and rental fees for our November production. The winnings allowed us to send payment so we could continue our season….The production was a great success!”

The theatre is a Community Theatre, meaning it is run by volunteers who give their time outside of full-time jobs and family obligations.  Cathy says the prize money came at just the right time as Community Theatres often struggle with financial challenges.

“As an organization, we live life on a shoestring, in hopes of maintaining the funding to not only put up the next show but also to pay the heat bill and all the other expenses required to keep our doors open. Just when we think we aren’t going to make it over the next financial hurdle, some windfall allows us to continue. In this case, the windfall was a check from The Really Useful Group Limited!

So on behalf of the Board of Directors of Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for a gift that allowed us to carry on…The timing really could not have been better!”

To read the results of our Survey, click here.

Excitement is mounting in the Vale of Glamorgan as Stanwell School in Penarth prepares to stage its production of The Phantom of the Opera in two weeks time!

The high school will be the first in the UK to stage the musical since its release in September, and this has already had coverage in the local Penarth Times.

For more information on how to apply for Phantom, or any of our shows, visit the Apply Now section of the website.

This footage was first used in the Making Of DVD which accompanied the film of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

To perform Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat apply for a licence by clicking here.

It was announced today that The Really Useful Group will sponsor educational performance workshops at the forthcoming Amateur Stage Expo.

The first Amateur Stage Expo takes place at London’s Business Design Centre in Islington on 31^st March and 1^st April 2012 and will be the largest event ever staged for amateur theatre participants and enthusiasts in the UK.

The two day event will feature live performances from theatre groups, exhibitors, educational performance and management workshops and open discussion groups covering all manner of topics.

Event Co-ordinator, Douglas Mayo said “We are delighted that Really Useful Group has come on board to support this event. As the organisation behind Andrew Lloyd Webber, the UK’s most prolific musical theatre composer ever, their involvement is invaluable”.

David Robinson, Head of Licensing at The Really Useful Group said “It is great to be involved in this exciting new event for amateur and school theatre. Thousands of youngsters in the UK perform Andrew’s shows each year and we’ll be releasing more shows in the coming months. For that reason it is important that we support the community of amateur performers and wish the inaugural Amateur Stage Expo the best possible start.”

Sponsorship of the educational performance workshops follows The Really Useful Group’s recent release of Cats and The Phantom Of the Opera to schools and youth groups in the UK and Eire.

Further information on the Expo can be found at www.amateurstageexpo.co.uk.

As you can see from this fantastic picture of the set build, preparations are well underway for the first UK school production of The Phantom of the Opera, which will take place in a matter of weeks at Stanwell School in Penarth, Wales (12th-15th December 2011).

Stanwell School prides itself on the energy, dedication and enthusiasm of its extracurricular Performing Arts activities and is particularly renowned for the success of its annual Senior School Production.  Past musical productions include Grease, Crazy for You, Little Shop of Horrors and Jesus Christ Superstar (seen below) and the school enjoyed the prestige of being the first to premiere Les Miserables and We Will Rock You.  Now they can retain this status by being the first to perform The Phantom of the Opera in the UK.

Rehearsals have been going for a few weeks and Head of Music Janice Richards says the school is rising to the demands of the West End show: “The material is not easy, holding challenges for both vocal and instrumental performers – but our pupils are rehearsing  after school throughout the week and progress is clearly being made! There is a dedicated staff production team with different individuals responsible for staging, set, costume, advertising, music, dance and drama”.

Opening night of Phantom at Stanwell School is on 12th December.

Last month we announced the release of The Phantom of the Opera and Cats to academic schools and colleges in the UK and Eire (read the full announcement here). Since then we’ve had a huge amount of interest in both shows and are pleased to announce the first UK school to produce Phantom will be Stanwell School in Penarth, Wales. You can read the school’s announcement about Phantom here.

Four performances of Phantom will take place 12th – 16thDecember 2011 and there is already a high level of excitement and anticipation around the school. Auditions and casting took place at the start of October and rehearsals are now underway. With less than two months to go, the school has embraced the opportunity; with Head of Music Janice Richards saying “we thrive on large scale productions – love the challenge and our kids are great!”

Stanwell has previous experience of staging large musicals, having performed Jesus Christ Superstar at the International Festival of Musical Theatre and other shows at the school such as We Will Rock You and Les Miserables.

Staff and pupils in the Art, Media and D.T. departments will also make an important contribution with their work on the set, lighting, publicity and backstage organisation and we’re looking forward to hearing how they all get on!

In June this year The Really Useful Group launched a survey to find out what resources schools and amateurs had available to them when putting on a show, and which of our titles they would be most interested in performing. We had a fantastic response with thousands of schools, colleges, church and amateur groups from all over the world taking part and giving us some great feedback.

Every completed entry from a school/group was placed in a prize draw to win £1,000 towards their music costs, and this was won by the community theatre the Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania, USA. Congratulations to them!

The survey results gave us an excellent insight into how schools and amateur groups put on their shows, informing us on keyboards, keyboard programming, merchandise and orchestra size.

Shows

The shows people are most interested in performing are Starlight Express and Whistle Down the Wind

• These are both currently in development

Logos

There is a strong demand for show logos 

• These are now available to all license holders

Resources

Most groups had a demand for fact packs / education packs

• Visit the Resources page to find these for Phantom, Cats, Evita and Joseph

Help with rehearsals

Rehearsal tools would be very useful

• Various products to support rehearsals of our shows are in development – watch this space! 

Backing tracks 

20% of Primary Schools said they would only every use Backing Tracks for their shows and 45% said they would prefer to use them where available

• We are looking into producing backing tracks for shows appropriate to Primary Schools

More to come…

Please keep checking the website for further developments and thanks to all who took the time to take the survey.

As of 13th October 2011, Really Useful Licensing are now considering licence applications from Youth Groups in the UK & Eire for both Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Some restrictions will apply as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat continues to tour the UK & Eire and

we have future plans for professional activity for Jesus Christ Superstar, but the limited

release of these two popular shows follows last month’s addition of The Phantom of the Opera and Cats to our licensing catalogue for academic schools and colleges.

This expansion is part of The Really Useful Group’s initiative to make our catalogue more freely available to the amateur sector, and in particular  to encourage young people to perform our shows.

Find out more!

To see all the shows currently available to Youth Groups in the UK and Eire, and for information on how to apply for a license click here.

• You can buy Joseph T Shirts and other merchandise by clicking here. Many customers find the T Shirts are especially good for dressing the choir and helpers, or even the whole cast.

Show Posters

Please read the points below carefully, then click the relevant link to download your Joseph poster.

1. You will be downloading a TIFF file (high quality image) for easy editing
2. The poster is A3, and can be reduced to A4 when printing
3. Official Joseph logo and contractual billing is included, these must not be altered in any way
4. Space is left at the bottom to add your own text.  This must include the text stipulated in your licence – any queries please contact us
5. We recommend using a Serif Font such as Times or Minion

Please read the points below carefully, then click the relevant link to download your Phantom poster.

1. You will be downloading a TIFF file (high quality image) for easy editing
2. The poster is A3, and can be reduced to A4 when printing
3. Official Phantom logo and contractual billing is included, these must not be altered in any way
4. Space is left at the bottom to add your own text.  This must include the text stipulated in your licence – any queries please contact us
5. We recommend using a Serif Font such as Times or Minion

Audition Materials

Click below to download a useful pack of audition music for the main characters of Phantom.

• Audition Materials

When you apply for a licence you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by the terms of the licence. Please read the document below to familiarize yourself with the terms of the licence.

• The Likes of Us Licence Agreement

Perusal Copies

You can obtain full perusal copies from the Chester / Novello hire library.

- Please contact Chester Novello.

Hire Music

You will be entitled to hire music scores and parts once you have obtained your performance licence.

In the UK, music materials for all our shows except CATS are available from the  Chester / Novello Hire Library.

Click the links below for contact details and hire tariffs.

• Chester / Novello Hire Library
•  Hire Tarriffs 

In countries outside of the UK, the agency through whom you obtained the licence will be able to advise you with regard to music materials.

Your production of Cats requires some specific keyboard programming. You need to choose whether to use Korg Triton or Kurzweil 2500/2600 keyboards.

Below, we have made available the instructions and programming files you’ll need.

• Korg Triton instructions
• Korg Triton programming

• Kurzweil 2500/2600 instructions
• Kurzweil 2500/2600 programming

Your production of Jesus Christ Superstar requires some specific keyboard programming. You need to choose whether to use Korg Trinity or Yamaha Motif keyboards.

Below, we have made available the instructions and programming files you’ll need.

• Korg programming instructions
• Korg keyboard sounds

• Motif programming instructions
• Motif keyboard sounds

We cannot consider film requests in respect of our other works at this point in time.

Some shows (e.g. THE WOMAN IN WHITE) have yet to be developed for licensed productions.

The licensing rights to some shows are withheld because the show in question is the subject of a planned or ongoing professional production.

Occasionally, we do get clashes where two amateur societies, for example, wish to perform the same show reasonably near one another. Because we want everyone to have the best possible chance of getting the biggest audience they can, we may decline an application out of respect for the first company to register.

Some shows (e.g. ASPECTS OF LOVE, EVITA) are not available to very junior groups as the subject matter and vocal and physical performance demands of the show in question would be unsuitable.

When you fill in the licence application form on this website, we’ll ask you some simple questions about whether you will charge ticket admission and, if so, how many tickets you expect to sell per performance. Our system will then calculate how much the licence should be and send it to one of our team for review. Once it has been approved, you will be notified by email. In some cases licenses will be granted automatically and in others a licence may be declined.

Typically, we will either charge you a flat fee per performance (this is usually for schools or where tickets are free) or we’ll charge you a royalty based on your total box office receipts.

Upon completion of your production, we will provide you a with a pro-forma royalty statement for the calculation of the performance royalty payment.

Here is an example of how the eventual royalty payment is calculated:

It is therefore extremely important that you do not make any plans or preparations for a production until you have checked with the Music Licensing Department or one of our agents and have secured a performance licence!

The show opened at the Apollo Victoria in London on 27th March 1984. In April 1991 Starlight Express became the second longest running musical in London theatre history at that time. The show has also been produced in Germany, the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and Mexico, as well as having a production on ice in 1997.

In 1993 the entire creative team re-grouped to revise the show for a new generation. Five new songs were added (including “Next Time You Fall in Love” with lyrics by Don Black), numbers were re-choreographed and the show was re-launched at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, London.

Starlight Express continues to race to packed houses in Bochum, Germany, where it plays in an especially adapted theatre, and an award-winning production toured the UK in 2004 while the show is set to tour New Zealand again in July 2009.

When you apply for a licence you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by the terms of the licence. Please read the document below to familiarize yourself with these terms.

• Licence for Academic Schools / Colleges and Universities

Perusal Copies

You can obtain full perusal copies from our Music Hire Library Chester /Novello.

- Please contact Chester / Novello

Hire Music

You will be entitled to hire music scores and parts once you have obtained your performance licence.

In the UK, music materials for all our shows except CATS are available from our Music Hire Library Chester / Novello.

Please click the link below for contact details and hire tariffs.

•  Chester / Novello hire library

In countries outside of the UK, the agency through whom you obtained the licence will be able to advise you with regard to music materials.

Purchase The Available Rehearsal Tools

To help with your production Realtime Music Solutions has developed as series of software tools. RMS Keyboards solves the problem of not being able to source specific keyboard sounds or keyboards by simulating the sounds of the original production. The full version is available to valid licence holders only but below, you can download a demo version of the software to test its capabilities.

• Download RMS Keyboards – Sunset Boulevard Demo (Windows)
• Download RMS Coach – Sunset Boulevard Demo (Mac)

When you apply for a licence you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by the terms of the licence. Please read the  licence document that applies to your group to familiarize yourself with these terms.

• Licence for Academic Schools / Colleges / Universities and Church Groups
•  Licence for Youth Groups

Perusal Copies

Full perusal copies are available from Chester / Novello.

• Contact Chester / Novello

Hire Music Materials

You will be entitled to hire music scores and parts once you have obtained your performance licence.

In the UK, music materials for all our shows except CATS are available from the Chester / Novello Hire Library.

Click the links below for contact details and hire tariffs.

• Chester / Novello Hire Library

• Hire Tariffs

In countries outside of the UK, the agency through whom you obtained the licence will be able to advise you with regard to music materials.

Purchase The Available Rehearsal Tools

To help you rehearse your production Realtime Music Solutions has developed RMS Coach an innovative software package you can download and install on your PC or Mac. It means you can rehearse, effectively, away from the rehearsal room.

Just about anything you can imagine a piano coach doing to teach a musical number can be done with RMS Coach: isolate parts, mute them entirely, bring them up or down in volume, speed up, slow down, transpose, vamp and much, much more.

The full version is available to valid licence holders only but below, you can download a demo version of the software to test its capabilities.

• Download RMS Coach – JCS Demo (Windows)
• Download RMS Coach – JCS Demo (Mac)

Download the Official Logo

The cost of the official Jesus Christ Superstar logo will be included in your licence quote. This will be made available for download once you have obtained a show licence.

When you apply for a licence you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by the terms of the licence. Please read the documents below to familiarize yourself with the terms of the licence.

• Licence for Academic Schools, Colleges + Churches
• Licence for Youth Groups

Perusal Copies

You can obtain full perusal copies from our Hire Library Chester / Novello.

To view an online only version of the Piano Vocal score, please click on the link below. These are extracts from the score to help you decide whether or not performing Joseph is for you.

• Online Perusal Copy – Currently unavailable.

Education Pack

To make the most of performing Joseph, you may wish to incorporate some of the themes and aspects of your show into your classroom teaching. To aid with this, below, you can download a copy of the Joseph Education pack, produced for the recent West End revival of the show, starring Lee Mead.

• Download the Joseph Education Pack

Hire Music Materials

You will be entitled to hire music scores and parts once you have obtained your performance licence.

In the UK, music materials for all our shows except CATS are available from the Chester / Novello Hire Library.

Click the links below for contact details and hire tariffs.

• Chester / Novello Hire library.

• Hire Tariffs

In countries outside of the UK, the agency through whom you obtained the licence will be able to advise you with regard to music materials.

Purchase Rehearsal Tools

To help you rehearse your production Realtime Music Solutions has developed RMS Coach an innovative software package you can download and install on your PC or Mac. It means you can rehearse, effectively, away from the rehearsal room.

Just about anything you can imagine a piano coach doing to teach a musical number can be done with RMS Coach: isolate parts, mute them entirely, bring them up or down in volume, speed up, slow down, transpose, vamp and much, much more.

The full version is available to valid licence holders only but below, you can download a demo version of the software to test its capabilities.

• Download RMS Coach – Joseph Original Demo (Windows)
• Download RMS Coach – Joseph Original Demo (Mac)
• Download RMS Coach – Joseph Mega Mix Demo (Windows)
• Download RMS Coach – Joseph Megamix Demo (Mac)

RMS also has a software application called RMS Keyboards which accurately replicates many of the unique keyboard sounds used in Joseph.

• Download RMS Keyboards – Joseph Original Demo (Windows)
• Download RMS Keyboards – Joseph Original Demo (Mac)
• Download RMS Keyboards – Joseph Mega Mix Demo (Windows)
• Download RMS Keyboards – Joseph Mega Mix Demo (Mac)

Download Show Posters with the Official Logo

The cost of the official Joseph logo will be included in your licence quote. This will be made available to you once you have obtained a show licence.

When you apply for a licence you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by the terms of the licence. Please read the document below to familiarize yourself with these terms.

• Licence for Academic Schools / Colleges and Universities

Perusal Copies

To view online-only versions of the Piano Vocal and Full scores, please click on the link below. These are extracts of the music to help you decide whether or not performing Phantom is for you.

• Online Phantom Perusal – piano vocal
• Online Phanton Perusal – full score

Full perusal materials are available from our Hire Library Chester / Novello.

Music Materials Guide

Download details of the instruments and other music materials you will need to perform Phantom.

• Materials Guide

Hire Music

You will be entitled to hire music scores and parts once you have obtained your performance licence. In the UK, music materials for PHANTOM are available from the Chester / Novello Hire Library.

Click the links below for contact details and hire tariffs.

• Chester / Novello Hire Library
• Hire Tariffs.

In countries outside of the UK, the agency through whom you obtained the licence will be able to advise you with regard to music materials.

Rehearsal Tools for Hire

To help you rehearse your production we have developed a Piano Rehearsal CD for PHANTOM which matches the Piano Vocal Score.  The CD has subdivided tracks for useful rehearsal points, clicks to help vocal entries and the option of rehearsing with or without a melody guide.  Available for license holders to hire from Chester / Novello Hire Library.

Realtime Music Solutions also offer RMS Coach, an innovative software package you can download and install on your PC or Mac. It means you can rehearse, effectively, away from the rehearsal room and just about anything you can imagine a piano coach doing to teach a musical number can be done with RMS Coach: isolate parts, mute them entirely, bring them up or down in volume, speed up, slow down, transpose, vamp and much, much more.

The full version is available to valid licence holders only but below, you can download a demo version of the software to test its capabilities by clicking on the links below:

• Download RMS Coach – Phantom Demo (Windows)
• Download RMS Coach – Phantom Demo (Mac)

Keyboard Programming

The keyboards for Phantom require generic programming, but we do not specify a particular model of keyboard to use.  When your license has been granted you will have access to a Keyboard Sounds list to help you prepare.

You may wish to look at hiring RMS Keyboards, a software application offered by Realtime Music Solutions, which accurately replicates many of the unique keyboard sounds used in the Phantom score.  For more details, and information on cost, contact RMS. The full version is available to valid licence holders only, but below you can download a demo version of the software to test its capabilities.

When you apply for a licence you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by the terms of the licence. Please read the documents below to familiarize yourself with the terms of the licence.

• Licence for Academic Schools / Colleges + Universities
• Licence for Youth Groups

 Music Materials Guide

Download a list of the instrument materials required for the Evita orchestra.

• Materials Guide

Perusal Copies

Download extracts from the Piano Vocal Score below.

• Online Evita Perusal Copy

Full perusal copies are available from Chester / Novello.

• Contact Chester / Novello

Education Pack

To make the most of performing Evita, you may wish to incorporate some of the themes and aspects of your show into your classroom teaching. To aid with this, below, you can download a copy of the Evita Education pack, produced for the recent West End revival of the show.

• Download the Evita Education Pack

Hire Music Materials

You will be entitled to hire music scores and parts once you have obtained your performance licence.

In the UK, music materials for all our shows except CATS are available from the Chester / Novello Hire Library.

Click the links below for contact details and hire tariffs.

•  Chester / Novello Hire Library

• Hire Tariffs
  

In countries outside of the UK, the agency through whom you obtained the licence will be able to advise you with regard to music materials.

Purchase The Available Rehearsal Tools

To help you rehearse your production Realtime Music Solutions has developed RMS Coach an innovative software package you can download and install on your PC or Mac. It means you can rehearse, effectively, away from the rehearsal room.

Just about anything you can imagine a piano coach doing to teach a musical number can be done with RMS Coach: isolate parts, mute them entirely, bring them up or down in volume, speed up, slow down, transpose, vamp and much, much more.

The full version is available to valid licence holders only. Below you can download a demo version of the software to test its capabilities.

• Download RMS Coach – Evita Demo (Windows)
• Download RMS Coach – Evita Demo (Mac)

RMS also has a software application called RMS Keyboards which accurately replicates many of the unique keyboard sounds used in Evita.

• Download RMS Keyboards – Evita Demo (Windows)
• Download RMS Keyboards – Evita Demo (Mac)

Keyboard Sounds List

Evita uses some specific keyboard sounds. Below is a document detailing those sounds, which you may find useful for your performance.

• Keyboard Sounds List

 Download the Official Logo

The cost of the official Evita logo will be included in your licence quote. This will be made available for download once you have obtained a show licence.

When you apply for a licence you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by the terms of the licence. Please read the documents below to familiarize yourself with the terms of the licence.

• Licence for Academic Schools + Colleges
•  Licence for Youth Groups

For further information about the materials and costs which are in addition to the licence and logo fee, please see below.

Perusal Copies

Download extracts from the Piano Vocal Score below

• Online Cats Perusal Copy

Full perusal copies are available from Faber Music

•  Contact Faber Music

Music Materials Guide

Download a list of instruments required for the Cats orchestra.

• Materials Guide

Hire Music Materials

You will be entitled to hire music scores, parts and keyboard programming discs once you have obtained your performance licence.

In the UK, music materials for CATS are available from the Faber Music Hire Library.

Click the link below for contact details and hire tariffs.

•   Faber Music Hire Library

In countries outside of the UK, the agency through whom you obtained the licence will be able to advise you with regard to music materials.

Keyboard Programming

The keyboards for both versions of CATS require specific programming:

For the 16 piece version, use either Korg Tritons or Kurzweil 2500/2600s – the programming is provided along with all your hired music materials (see above).  Generic keyboards can only be used by paying to hire RMS Keyboards software (below).

For the 10 piece version, you must pay to hire the RMS Keyboards software (below).

RMS Keyboards is a software application offered for hire by Realtime Music Solutions, which accurately replicates many of the unique keyboard sounds used in the Cats score.  For more details, and information on cost, contact RMS.

• Download RMS Keyboards – Cats Demo (Windows)
• Download RMS Keyboards – Cats Demo (Mac)

Rehearsal Tools for Hire

To help you rehearse your production we have developed a Piano Rehearsal CD for CATS which matches the Piano Vocal Score.  The CD has subdivided tracks for useful rehearsal points, clicks to help vocal entries and the option of rehearsing with or without a melody guide.  Available for license holders to hire from Faber Music Hire Library.

Realtime Music Solutions also offer RMS Coach, an innovative software package you can download and install on your PC or Mac. It means you can rehearse, effectively, away from the rehearsal room and just about anything you can imagine a piano coach doing to teach a musical number can be done with RMS Coach: isolate parts, mute them entirely, bring them up or down in volume, speed up, slow down, transpose, vamp and much, much more.

The full version is available to valid licence holders only but below, you can download a demo version of the software to test its capabilities by clicking on the links below:

• Download RMS Coach – Cats Demo (Windows)
• Download RMS Coach – Cats Demo (Mac)

Download the Official Logo

The cost of the official CATS logo will be included in your licence quote. This will be made available for download once you have obtained a show licence.

Education Pack

To make the most of performing Cats, you may wish to incorporate some of the themes and aspects of your show into your classroom teaching. To aid with this, below, you can download a copy of the Cats Education pack, produced for the most recent tour in 2008.

• Download the Cats Education Pack

Show Merchandise and Further Information

• Buy the original cast recording CD
• Buy the Cats DVD
• Buy the Cats Vocal Selection Songbook
• Catsthemusical.com

The story of the show describes Barnardo’s arrival in London’s East End in 1866, his initial evangelical work and his eventual recognition of the plight and poverty amongst homeless children in the capital. The show depicts Barnardo’s first meeting with Syrie Elmslie who eventually became his wife and how the first Barnardo’s home for children came into being in 1867.

The show features eight principal performers and adult and children’s choruses. It includes memorable solo songs such as TWICE IN LOVE EVERY DAY and A STRANGE AND LOVELY SONG and full scale chorus numbers such as GOING, GOING, GONE and HAVE ANOTHER CUP OF TEA.

The show was completed by 1967 but was not produced at the time as the subject of children in Victorian London had been successfully covered by OLIVER by Lionel Bart. However, THE LIKES OF US was produced as a showcase performance in 2005 and the resulting performance was released on CD and broadcast by BBC Radio.

The show has been performed by more than fifty amateur societies and schools in the UK & Eire since being made available for performance in 2009.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Andrew Lloyd Webber said:

“One of the first pieces I wrote was Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It was originally written for a school. Later it was expanded to be a full length stage show but I still get a kick out of seeing it performed in the way it began over forty years ago.

No way was either Cats or The Phantom Of The Opera written for schools even if TS Eliot did write his brilliant cat poems for his godchildren.

But such is the extraordinary growth of interest in musicals at grass root level all over the world, plus the astonishing capabilities of our younger performers, that now schools, colleges and amateur societies put on productions that give professionals a huge run for their money.

I am therefore delighted that Cats and Phantom are available to be performed by schools and colleges for the first time. Good luck and have fun!”

Shows of the stature of Cats and The Phantom of the Opera very rarely get released for licensing by academic schools and colleges, which makes today’s announcement all the more significant. Whilst the musical and staging requirements of both shows are complex, it is possible for academic institutions to produce successful productions which will attract a broad and interested audience.

The Phantom of the Opera, which has been seen by over 100 million people worldwide and has been performed in 14 different languages in 149 cities around the globe is, for many, the greatest musical ever written. It is still the longest running musical ever on Broadway and has won over fifty major awards.

When Phantom became Broadway’s longest running show, it took over from Cats, which had played for over 21 years. The show, based on the poems of T.S Eliot, took over £115 million at the UK Box Office and regularly tours around the world.

How to put on a show

To perform one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s shows, schools must, in the first instance, contact The Really Useful Group Licensing dept via its website at www.stageamusical.com.

Shows already available from the Really Useful Group include By Jeeves, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, The Likes of Us and Sunset Boulevard.

• Rental Materials

It’s 1927 and Daisy Meredith is the first scholarship girl taken from an elementary school to be allowed access to the hallowed halls of Grangewood School for Young Ladies.

Enthusiastic and plucky to the last, Daisy finds herself struggling against unspeakable snobs Sybil and Monica and their ghastly schemes to get her expelled. Ably assisted by her new best friend, madcap and self styled poet, Trixie Martin, Daisy finds herself caught up in a series of irresistible adventures including the search for missing treasure. Can they work out the mysterious clues and save the school from closure? Or will they be beaten by the enigmatic Mr Scoblowski?

This riotous and affectionate pastiche of the classic girls’ school story was a huge West End hit and won the Olivier Award and Drama Theatre Award for Best Comedy. Full of hilarious characters and splendid scrapes Daisy Pulls it Off celebrates, with a sly wit and a big heart, an arguably sweeter, more innocent era.

Rental Materials

• Script
• Vocal score for ‘Grangewood School Song’

2011 Landor Theatre, London Revival Directed by Andrew Keates

Music and lyrics by Howard Goodall | Book by Melvyn Bragg

• Orchestra

Omitting the customary overture, the show plunges straight into the first scene. The main character John Tallentire, a newly married man is taking part in a hiring fair, which were held bi-annually. Men and women travelled for miles to be “hired on”. The stage is full of movement and snatches of dialogue, as labourers and farmers bargain over wages (‘Song Of The Hired Men’).

John Tallentire meets his two brothers, Isaac and Seth. Seth works down the coal mines, Isaac avoids work when he can. The three brothers adjourn to the pub. John has taken a job as a farm labourer in nearby Crossbridge. His wife, Emily, who is pregnant, joins him (‘Now For The First Time’).

A keen betting man, Isaac issues a general challenge to a wrestling match. Jackson Pennington, son of the farmer who has just offered the “luck penny” (a shilling, their only form of contract) and hired John, accepts the challenge. He is defeated, but Emily at least has obviously been impressed. At Crossbridge the labourers work the hard ground (‘Work Song/It’s All Right For You’).

John enjoys his work but Emily, who has given birth to a daughter, May, tells her new-found friend Sally she is dissatisfied with the life. Jackson approaches. Sally is under his spell, but it is Emily that Jackson wants. With Emily’s agreement, Isaac persuades John to go fox-hunting with him (‘Get Up And Go, Lad’).

John decides to stay away for the night. It is Jackson who delivers the message to Emily. The temptation is too much for her (‘I Wouldn’t Be The First’). The next day John returns. The distance between the married couple is growing. Abandoning hope of getting Emily for himself alone, Jackson joins the army, hoping to go to India. As he is saying farewell to his old cronies at the pub he receives a whispered message from Joe Sharpe. He waits outside the pub (‘Hear Your Voice’).

We find out who the message was from when Emily arrives. She is distraught at him leaving without telling her. Inside the pub the men are gossiping and John suddenly realises what has been going on. He catches his wife with Jackson. There is a fight, and Jackson is beaten, while Emily stands by torn between the two men (‘If I Could’).

For Act Two the year shifts forward from 1898 to 1914. John and Emily are still together and have had another child, this time a son called Harry. May, now sixteen, is on a summer day out, on a hill overlooking the village of Crossbridge with her younger brother. Harry runs off, excited by the sound of a gun firing. May removes some of her clothing and luxuriates in the sunshine (‘You Never See the Sun’).

Jackson enters with a gun. He is home on leave and has been doing some shooting. In the conversation which follows, we learn the Tallentires are now living in Whitehaven, where John has joined his brother down the pit. Jackson asks wistfully after Emily.

The scene moves to the Tallentires’ house in Whitehaven. Emily has taken a job in a factory, which doesn’t please her husband. Harry wants to go down the pit like his father, but Emily will not hear of it. It turns out headstrong Harry has gone behind his parents’ backs and signed on at the mine anyway (‘What Would You Say To Your Son?’).

Seth is now a force in the miners’ union. He is trying to get all the men to join, but some are opposed. The meeting ends in a fight. The great War descends on the family, ripping them apart (‘Farewell Song’) as first John, Seth, their other brother Isaac and then Harry (who is still under-age) sign up to go to fight in France.

The patriotic soldiers soon discover the grim realities of trench warfare (‘War Song/So Tell Your Children’). The Tallentires like most families are not spared the tragedy and horror of those four years.

The war over, we move forward to 1920. Isaac is now married. Seth has become a pacifist. For old times’ sake, John and Emily return to Crossbridge for an outing to the Friendly Society Annual Day . Emily, who is not well now, having developed tuberculosis, suggests that they should return to the land. Both have regrets over what has happened in the past but their love has survived (‘No Choir of Angels’).

In a pit accident John and two friends are cut off by a roof fall. Seth and the others succeed in their rescue attempt, but John returns home to find that a final tragedy has descended on the family. Finally he makes up his mind to do as Emily wanted and return to the land. The story ends as it began, with John seeking work as a hired man.

Orchestra

4-9 PIECE NB. Line up is flexible with options below

Either:

• Trumpet
• Piano
• Harpsichord
• Harp
• Double Bass
• (+optional string qtet)

Or:

• Trumpet
• Piano
• Keyboard (Harpsichord/Harp)
• Double Bass
• (+optional string qtet)

NB. The keyboard can replace both the harpsichord and harp, and the string quartet is optional. However, the song ‘Day Follows Day’ in Act II is not included in any of the optional parts.

The show opened at the Palace Theatre, London on 16th September 2004, starring Maria Friedman as Marian Halcombe with Angela Christian as Anne, Martin Crewes as Walter Hartright and Michael Crawford as the original Count Fosco. It opened at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre on 17th November, with Michael Ball playing Count Fosco.

Walter Hartright’s life is changed forever after a chance encounter with a mysterious woman, dressed in white, desperate to reveal her chilling secret. When he takes up his position as drawing master to the beautiful Laura Fairlie and her half sister, Marion, he sees in Laura’s face an eerie reflection of the forlorn creature he met previously.

Walter and Laura’s feelings for each other are thwarted by her engagement to the sinister Sir Percival Glyde. What is the connection between Laura, Sir Percival and the woman in white? Is Sir Percival’s friend Count Fosco, with his unusual taste for white mice and poison, really as charming and well-meaning as he seems? Can true love prevail? The stage adaptation of this Victorian thriller, featuring Andrew Lloyd Webber’s greatest and most romantic score since The Phantom of the Opera, comes to life in William Dudley’s cinematic design, which swoops from the gas-lit streets of London to the windswept moors and stately homes of the North.

Based on the novel by Mary Hayley Bell and subsequent Richard Attenborough-produced film, Whistle Down the Wind follows the fortunes of a fugitive caught between the prejudice of adults and the innocence of the young. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman, together with Patricia Knop and Gale Edwards (co-book writers with Andrew Lloyd Webber) reset the original story in Louisiana in 1959.

Whistle Down the Wind revolves around the time and place where the word teenager was invented. Swallow, a 15 year-old-girl growing up in America’s deep South in the fifties, discovers a mysterious man hiding out in a barn. When she asks who he is and the first words he utters are “Jesus Christ”, it’s as if all her prayers have been answered. Swallow and the town’s other children vow to protect the stranger from the world that waits outside – the townspeople who are determined to catch a fugitive hiding it their midst. As fantasy and reality collide, Swallow is torn between the two and begins to discover who she is and where she is going.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s emotive score combines hauntingly beautiful love songs and explosive rock music with lyrics by acclaimed rock’n'roll songwriter Jim Steinman. The score contrasts the relentless influence of the modern world with the traditional values of the old days – something which the community at the heart of Whistle Down the Wind yearns to return to.

After successfully playing at the Aldwych Theatre in London for over two years, Whistle Down the Wind undertook two UK tours as well as touring the USA from 2007-2008.

Cast Requirements

PRINCIPALS / FEATURED

• 2 Women
• 8 Men
• 1 Boy
• 1 Girl

ENSEMBLE

• Mixed ensemble (adults and children)

Characters

PRINCIPAL AND FEATURED

• The Man
• Swallow
• Amos
• Candy
• Boone
• Brat (girl)
• Poor Baby (boy)
• Edward
• Sheriff
• The Minister
• Snake Preacher
• Earl

Orchestra

14 PIECE

• Woodwind I (Flute, Piccolo, Tenor Sax)
• Woodwind II (Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Soprano Sax)

• Horn I
• Percussion / Drums

• Keyboard I
• Keyboard II
• Keyboard III

• Guitar I
• Guitar II / Banjo
• Bass Guitar
• Violins x 3 [Electric Violin is preferable for 3rd violin]
• Cello

Set Requirements

WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND takes place in a small Louisiana town, just before Christmas 1959.

Tell Me on a Sunday was expanded from its original Marti Webb TV special to become a whole evening’s entertainment and also featured five brand new songs written especially for the production.

Following the extended West End season, starring Denise Van Outen, the new production toured the UK, starring Marti Webb, Patsy Palmer or Faye Tozer, depending on the venue.

ORCHESTRA

5 PIECE

• Woodwind I (Flute, Alto Flute, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax)
• Piano
• Bass Guitar
• Drums
• Cello

Based on the Billy Wilder film, the musical version of Sunset Boulevard, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Christopher Hampton and Don Black, had its world premiere at London’s Adelphi Theatre on July 12th, 1993.

The show received its American premiere on 9th December 1993 at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles. The LA production starred Glenn Close (Norma Desmond), Alan Campbell (Joe Gillis), Judy Kuhn (Betty Schaefer) and George Hearn (Max von Mayerling), with Close, Campbell and Hearn going on to recreate their roles for the show’s 1994 Broadway opening at the Minskoff Theatre on 17th November 1994 – they were also joined by Alice Ripley as Betty Schaefer. That production opened with the highest advance in Broadway history at the time ($37.5 million in ticket sales).

Sunset Boulevard weaves a magnificent tale of faded glory and unfulfilled ambition. Silent movie star Norma Desmond longs for a return to the big screen, having been discarded by tinsel town with the advent of “talkies.” Her glamour has faded in all but her mind. When she meets struggling Hollywood screen-writer Joe Gillis in dramatic circumstances, their subsequent passionate and volatile relationship leads to an unforeseen and tragic conclusion.

The Toronto production of the show opened on 15th October 1995 starring Diahann Carroll (Norma), Rex Smith (Joe) and Walter Charles (Max). The US National Tour of Sunset Boulevard premiered in June 1996 with Linda Balgord in the starring role.

A US Tour opened in Pittsburgh in December 1998 and starred Petula Clark in the lead role, and a UK Tour starring Faith Brown as Norma Desmond and Earl Carpenter as Joe Gillis opened in 2001. In summer 2008, a scaled-down production of Sunset Boulevard played at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, UK, receiving rave reviews.

Cast Requirements

PRINCIPALS

• 2 Women
• 2 Men

FEATURED

• 4 Men

CHARACTERS

PRINCIPAL AND FEATURED

• Norma Desmond
• Joe Gillis
• Max Von Mayerling
• Betty Schaefer
• Cecil B. DeMille
• Artie Green
• Sheldrake
• Manfred

ENSEMBLE CHARACTERS
(in order of appearance)

• Myron
• Mary
• Joanna
• First And Second Finance Men
• Sammy
• Morino
• Wunderkind
• Myron
• Secretary
• Cliff
• Katherine
• Lisa
• John
• Anita
• Adam
• Waitress
• Actor
• Sandy
• Larissa
• Jane
• Glenn
• Danielle
• Dawn
• Barman
• First through Seventh Salesmen
• Richard
• Jean
• Actor #4
• Guard
• Jones
• Heather
• Hog-Eye
• Victor Mature Stand-In (Non-Speaking)
• Hedy Lamarr Stand-In (Non-Speaking)
• Victor Mature (Non-Speaking)
• Hedy Lamarr (Non-Speaking)
• Astrologer
• Masseuse #1 And #2
• Beautician #1, #2, #3
• Analyst
• Doctor
• Journalist
• Policeman (Non-Speaking)

Orchestra

27 PIECE NB. Line up is flexible, with optional parts listed below

• Woodwind I (Piccolo, Flute, Alto Flute)
• Woodwind II (Flute, Bb Clarinet, Tenor Sax)
• Woodwind III – OPTIONAL (Oboe, Cor Anglais)
• Woodwind IV – OPTIONAL (Bassoon)

• Horn I
• Horn II
• Trumpet (doubles Piccolo Trumpet)
• Bass Trombone

• Percussion I
• Percussion II – OPTIONAL
• Guitar (Electric and Acoustic)

• Keyboard I
• Keyboard II
• Keyboard III
• Keyboard IV – OPTIONAL

• Harp – OPTIONAL
• Violin I (4 recommended)
• Violin II (3 recommended)
• Viola (2 recommended)
• Cello
• Contrabass (doubling Bass Guitar)

Set Requirements

SUNSET BOULEVARD takes place in Hollywood between 1949 and 1950.

SPECIFIC LOCATIONS

• The House On Sunset
• Paramount Studios
• On The Road
• Garage On Sunset
• Norma’s Guest house
• Schwab’s Drugstore
• The Terrace On Sunset
• Artie Green’s Apartment
• Norma’s Swimming Pool
• Betty’s Office at Paramount
• Paramount Backlot

Song and Dance opened in London on 26th March 1982, after Variations, a musical piece composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber for his brother Julian, was combined with Tell Me On A Sunday, written with Don Black.

Variations was choreographed by Anthony van Laast, and had an electric team of dancers including Wayne Sleep, Graham Fletcher, Sandy Strallen, Linda Mae Brewer and Jane Darling.

The album Variations was released in 1978. Based on Paganini’s Caprice in A minor, the recording featured Andrew Lloyd Webber’s cellist brother Julian and a number of the rock world’s leading musicians.

This work was then combined with Tell Me on a Sunday (an Andrew Lloyd Webber/Don Black song cycle) to produce Song and Dance. The show opened in London at the Palace Theatre and enjoyed a run of 781 performances, closing on 31st March 1984. The title song, “Tell Me on a Sunday”, was sung by Marti Webb originally and subsequently by, amongst others, Gemma Craven, Carol Nielsson, Lulu and Liz Robertson.

Song and Dance was subsequently presented in Australia, the USA, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Norway and Holland. In a slightly rewritten form, the show ran on Broadway for over a year to a great public response. 1987 saw the worldwide release of a new orchestral version of Variations, together with an orchestral tone poem called Aurora, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s father.

Cast Requirements

PRINCIPALS

• Act I: One Woman
• Act II: Dancers as desired

Orchestra

16 PIECE

• Woodwind I (Flute, Alto Flute, Tenor Sax)
• Woodwind II (Oboe, Cor Anglais)
• Woodwind III (Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Alto Sax)

• Horn I
• Horn II
• Trumpet

• Keyboard I
• Keyboard II
• Percussion
• Guitar I
• Guitar II
• Bass Guitar
• Drums

• Cello I
• Cello II
• Cello III

Set Requirements

SONG AND DANCE requires a unit set suggesting a woman’s apartment in New York City in the present.

The Phantom of the Opera is composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Charles Hart, additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe, and a book by Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe. It is the most commercially successful stage musical ever.

Based on the classic novel ‘Le Fantôme de l”Opéra’ by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command. Its sensational score includes ‘Think of Me,’ ‘Angel of Music,’ ‘Music of the Night,’ ‘All I Ask of You,’ ‘Masquerade’ and the title song.

Show Licence Agreement

The Phantom of the Opera is available to academic schools, colleges and universities under the terms of our licence agreement, which you must read in full prior to applying. Click here to read.

Cast Requirements

PRINCIPALS

• 1 Woman
• 2 Men

FEATURED

• 3 Women
• 4 Men

CHARACTERS

PRINCIPAL AND FEATURED

• Christine Daaé - a chorus girl (soprano)
• The Phantom - a composer and magician known as the Opera Ghost (baritone/tenor)
• Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny – patron of the Opera, childhood sweetheart of Christine (baritone/tenor)
• Monsieur Firmin - co-manager of the Opera (baritone)
• Monsieur André - co-manager of the Opera (baritone)
• Carlotta Giudicelli- the Prima Donna of the Opera (soprano)
• Madame Giry - the ballet Mistress (mezzo-soprano)
• Ubaldo Piangi - leading tenor of the Opera, Carlotta’s husband (tenor)
• Monsieur Reyer - the chief répétiteur/director of the Paris Opera (spoken role)
• Meg Giry - Madame Giry’s daughter, member of the ballet chorus, Christine’s best friend

ENSEMBLE CHARACTERS

• Monsieur Lefèvre - the previous owner of the Opera (spoken role)
• Joseph Buquet - chief stagehand of the Opera (baritone/bass)
• Madame Firmin
• Auctioneer
• Porter/Marksman/Fop (in ‘Il Muto’)
• Don Attilo (in ‘Il Muto’)/Passarino
• Slave Master (in ‘Hannibal’)
• Flunky/Stagehand
• Policeman
• Page 1 & 2 (in’Don Juan Triumphant’)
• Porter/Chief Fire Officer
• Wardrobe Mistress/ Confidante (in ‘Il Muto’)
• Princess (in ‘Hannibal’)
• Innkeepers Wife (in ‘Don Juan Triumphant’)
• Two Fire Marshals
• Two Epicene Men (a hairdresser and Jeweler)
• Ensemble: The Ballet Chorus of the Opera, Stagehands, Policemen, Attendants

Original Broadway cast doubling is indicated, but these parts may be split among the ensemble

Orchestra

27 PIECE

• Woodwind I (Flute, Piccolo)
• Woodwind II (Flute, Bb Clarinet)
• Woodwind III (Oboe, Cor Anglais)
• Woodwind IV (Bb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet)
• Woodwind V (Bassoon)

• Horn I
• Horn II
• Horn III
• Trumpet I
• Trumpet II
• Trombone

• Percussion
• Keyboard I
• Keyboard II

• Harp
• Violins (7 recommended)
• Viola (2 recommended)
• Cello (2 recommended)
• C Bass (Contrabass)

For further information please visit our Resources page.

Set Requirements

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA takes place in and around the Paris Opera House, 1881.

SPECIFIC LOCATIONS

• The stage of the Paris Opera House, 1911
• The stage of the Paris Opera House, during a rehearsal for ‘Hannibal’, 1881
• Christine’s Dressing Room
• The Labyrinth Underground
• Beyond the Lake
• Backstage of the Paris Opera House
• The Manager’s Office
• Stage of the Opera House, Box Five and opposite box
• 18th Century Salon, a canopied bed center stage; the boxes
• The Roof of the Opera House
• The stage of the Paris Opera House
• The Staircase of the Opera
• Backstage
• The Manager’s Office
• Rehearsal for ‘Don Juan Triumphant’
• A Graveyard
• The Stage of the Opera House before the premier of’ ‘Don Juan Triumphant’
• The Opera stage: Don Juan Triumphant
• On Stage, Reverse View
• The Labyrinth Underground
• The Phantom’s Lair

• Cast Requirements
• Orchestra
• Set Requirements

The Biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in this delightful musical parable. Joseph, his father’s favorite son, is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams. When he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, Joseph endures a series of adventures in which his spirit and humanity are continually challenged. He is purchased by Potiphar where thwarting advances from Potiphar’s wife lands him in jail. When news of Joseph’s gift to interpret dreams reaches the Pharaoh (wryly and riotously depicted as Elvis), Joseph is well on his way to becoming second in command. Eventually his brothers, having suffered greatly, unknowingly find themselves groveling at the feet of the brother they betrayed but no longer recognize. After testing their integrity, Joseph reveals himself leading to a heartfelt reconciliation of the sons of Israel. Set to an engaging cornucopia of musical styles, from country-western and calypso to bubble-gum pop and rock ‘n’ roll, this Old Testament tale emerges both timely and timeless.

Joseph is performed hundreds of times a year

Show Licence Agreement

Joseph is licensed to academic schools and colleges, church groups and youth groups subject to the terms and conditions listed in the respective licences below. For School and Colleges the points that must be strictly adhered to include the following five key conditions:

1. The display of any advertising or publicity materials for the production will be strictly confined to the Licensee’s own premises and such materials may not be exhibited or published elsewhere.
2. The Musical will be performed in accordance with the Vocal Score or Abridged Vocal Score as published. No alterations or interpolations may be made unless prior permission has been sought and written permission granted by The Really Useful Group Ltd.
3. The broadcast, televising, or recording of the Musical either wholly or in part whether audio or video, or by any other means, is strictly prohibited; the Licensee undertakes to prevent such recording.
4. All rights other than those specifically granted herein are strictly reserved to The Really Useful Group Ltd.
5. In the event that the Licensee publishes a programme and/or any advertising materials for internal use, equal credit shall be given to the Composer and Author (Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber) of the Musical on all printed matter relating to the production; the words “A school / church production by arrangement with “The Really Useful Group Limited” should also be included above the title of the Musical.

When you apply for a licence you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions.

If you are an academic school, college, university or church group please click here                    

If you are a youth group or theatre school please click here

Cast Requirements

PRINCIPALS

• 6 Men
• 1 Narrator (May be Male or Female)

FEATURED

• 11 Men
• 1 Woman

ENSEMBLE

• Chorus of Men (doubled by Brothers) and Women
• Optional Children’s Chorus

CHARACTERS

• Joseph
• Narrator
• Potiphar
• Asher
• Simeon
• Butler
• Pharaoh
• Benjamin
• Judah
• Reuben
• Issachar
• Mrs. Potiphar
• Levi
• Dan
• Naphtali
• Jacob
• Gad
• Baker
• Zebulon

Orchestra

10 PIECE (60 minutes)

• Woodwind I (Flute, Piccolo)
• Woodwind II (Bb Clarinet, Soprano Sax)
• Trumpet
• Trombone (doubling Tuba)
• Percussion
• Keyboard I
• Keyboard II
• Guitar
• Bass Guitar
• Drums

10 PIECE (90 minutes)

• Woodwind I (Flute, Piccolo, Bb Clarinet)
• Woodwind II (Bb Clarinet, Soprano Sax, Bass Clarinet)
• Horn
• Trumpet
• Percussion
• Keyboard I
• Keyboard II
• Guitar
• Bass Guitar
• Drums

15 PIECE

• Woodwind I (Flute, Bb Clarinet, Alto Sax)
• Woodwind II (Oboe, Cor Anglais)
• Horn

• Guitar I (Electric, Acoustic)
• Guitar II (Electric, 12 String)
• Bass Guitar
• Drums
• Percussion

• Keyboard I
• Keyboard II
• Keyboard III

• Violin I
• Violin II
• Viola
• Cello

For further information please visit our Resources page.

Set Requirements

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT takes place ‘way, way back many centuries ago, not long after the Bible began’ in the land of Canaan and Egypt.

SETTINGS INCLUDE

• Jacob’s home
• The desert
• Potiphar’s home
• A jail cell
• Pharaoh’s palace

Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera based on the last week of Jesus’ life and was the first musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to be produced for the professional stage. The show opened on 12th October 1971 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York with the London production opening on 9th August 1972 with Paul Nicholas (Jesus), Stephen Tate (Judas) and Dana Gillespie (Mary Magdalene). By the time it closed, after some eight years and 3,358 performances, it had become the longest-running musical in West End history.

The show started life as a recording, with Ian Gillan (Jesus), Murray Head (Judas) and Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene), which topped the American album charts three times.

Jesus Christ Superstar has been reproduced regularly around the world in the years since its first appearance, with performances including a series of vastly successful Harry M Miller staged concerts in Australia.

Show Licence Agreement

Jesus Christ Superstar is licensed to academic schools and colleges, church groups and youth groups subject to the terms and conditions listed in the respective licenes below.  When you apply for a licence you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

If you are an academic school, college, university or church group please click here

If you are a youth group or theatre school please click here

Cast Requirements

PRINCIPALS

• 1 Woman
• 2 Men

FEATURED

• 6 Men

ENSEMBLE

• Large singing ensemble consisting of Lepers, Cured Lepers, Merchants, Apostles, Soldiers, Judas’s Tormentors, Reporters, Temple Ladies, and Soul Girls.

CHARACTERS

• Mary Magdalene
• Jesus of Nazareth
• Judas Iscariot
• King Herod
• Caiaphas
• Peter
• Pontius Pilate
• Simon Zealotes
• Annas
• 3 Priests
• Lepers
• Cured Lepers
• Merchants
• Apostles
• Soldiers
• Judas’s Tormentors
• Reporters
• Temple Ladies
• Soul Girls

Orchestra

5 PIECE

• Keyboard I / MD
• Keyboard II
• Guitar
• Bass
• Drums

11 PIECE

• Woodwind I (Bb Clarinet, Flute, Tenor Sax)
• Horn
• Trumpet

• Keyboard I
• Keyboard II
• Keyboard III

• Percussion
• Guitar I
• Guitar II
• Bass Guitar
• Drums

35 PIECE NB. Number of strings can be increased

• Flute I
• Flute II (Flute, Piccolo)
• Flute III (Flute, Piccolo)
• Oboe I
• Oboe II
• Clarinet I (Bb Clarinet, Eb Clarinet)
• Clarinet II (Bb Clarinet, Tenor Sax)
• Bassoon I
• Bassoon II

• Horn I
• Horn II
• Horn III
• Horn IV
• Trumpet I
• Trumpet II
• Trumpet III
• Trombone I
• Trombone II
• Trombone III
• Tuba

• Percussion I
• Percussion II
• Percussion III
• Piano
• Organ
• Synth (Moog)
• Guitar I
• Guitar II
• Bass Guitar
• Drums

• Violin I
• Violin II
• Viola
• Cello
• Double Bass

For further information please visit our Resources page.

Set Requirements

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR takes place during the last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ in Roman occupied Jerusalem and environs.

Evita brings to life the dynamic, larger-than-life persona of Eva Peron. Beginning with a young and ambitious Eva, the production follows her meteoric rise to sainthood. The story tells of the enormous wealth and power she gained and the means by which she became the beloved Evita.

Evita’s memorable “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” was recorded and released in 1976 followed by the complete double album release, which went gold. The stage production opened on June 21, 1978 at the Prince Edward Theatre in London with Elaine Paige in the title role and Joss Ackland as her formidable Juan Peron.

Following stints in Los Angeles and San Francisco , Evita premiered on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre on 25th September 1979 . The production ran for an incredible 1,567 performances (more than twice as many as Jesus Christ Superstar). Evita won an impressive seven Tony Awards including Best Book, Best Score and Best Musical of the year. In 1981, the Evita cast recording was awarded a Grammy Award.

Productions of Evita have been performed all over the world, including performances in Austria, Spain, Mexico and South Africa. A revival of the show opened at London’s Adelphi Theatre in 2006, with Argentinian actress Elena Roger as Eva. The production ran until May 2007 and was nominated for a number of awards, including a nomination for Elena Roger as Best Actress In A Musical at the 2006 Laurence Olivier Awards.

In 2008 a new production of the show, directed by Bill Kenwright, toured the UK.

Show Licence Agreement

EVITA is licensed to academic schools and colleges, and youth groups subject to the terms and conditions listed in the respective licences below. When you apply for a licence you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

If you are an academic school, college or university please click here

If you are a youth group please click here

Cast Requirements

PRINCIPALS

• 1 Woman
• 2 Men

FEATURED

• 1 Woman
• 1 Men

ENSEMBLE

• Singing-dancing ensemble consisting of the people of Argentina

CHARACTERS

• Eva Peron
• Peron
• Che
• Peron’s Mistress
• Magaldi
• Men, Women and Children of Argentina

Orchestra

18 PIECE

• Woodwind I (Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo)
• Woodwind II (Bb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet)

• Horn I
• Trumpet I
• Trumpet II (Trumpet, Flugel)
• Trombone

• Guitar (Electric, Acoustic, Spanish, 12 string)
• Bass Guitar (doubling Contrabass)
• Drums
• Percussion

• Keyboard I
• Keyboard II
• Keyboard III (doubling Accordion)

• Violin I
• Violin II (divisi a 2)
• Viola
• Cello

9 PIECE NB. This version cannot be performed without click tracks (provided)

• Trumpet (Trumpet, Flugel)
• Trombone (Tenor, Bass)

• Keyboard I
• Keyboard II
• Keyboard III (doubling Accordion)

• Percussion
• Guitar (Electric, Acoustic)
• Bass (Electric, Contrabass)
• Drums

For further information please download the Materials Guide on our Resources page.

Set Requirements

EVITA takes place in Argentina between 1934 and 1952.

SPECIFIC LOCATIONS

• A Cinema in Buenos Aires
• A Nightclub in Junin
• Buenos Aires
• A Vaudeville Stage
• Backstage at the Theatre Colon
• A Bedroom
• A Balcony
• The face of the Casa Rosada

Since Cats first opened on the West End stage in 1981, it has become one of the world’s best known and best loved musicals.

With a plot based on T.S Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and award-winning music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cats – originally directed by Trevor Nunn and with musical staging by Gillian Lynne – has since been presented in over 20 countries and in about 250 cities, including such diverse destinations as Buenos Aires, Seoul, Helsinki and Singapore.

An all-singing, all-dancing musical spectacular, the show has also been translated into 10 languages and has not only been presented in theatres, but also in tents in Japan and Korea, an engine shed in Switzerland, and school gymnasiums across the USA.

Show Licence Agreement

CATS is licensed to academic schools, colleges and universities, theatre schools and youth groups subject to the terms and conditions listed in the respective licences below. When you apply for a licence you will be asked to confirm that you have read and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

If you are an academic school, college or university please click here

If you are a youth group or theatre school please click here

Cast Requirements

PRINCIPALS

• 6 Women
• 8 Men

ENSEMBLE

• Strong dancers and singers are recommended for the larger roles. Recommended minimum of 4 (1 Woman and 3 Men).

COMMENTS

• Some actors in Principal and Featured Roles are required to double in chorus roles.

CHARACTERS

• Asparagus (Gus)
• Bombalurina
• Bustopher Jones
• Demeter
• Grizabella
• Griddlebone
• Growltiger
• Jellylorum
• Jennyanydots
• Mr. Mistoffelees
• Mungojerrie
• Munkustrap
• Old Deuteronomy
• Rumpleteazer
• The Rum Tum Tugger
• Skimbleshanks

OTHER CHARACTERS (not in every production)

• Admetus
• Alonzo
• Bill Bailey
• Carbucketty
• Cassandra
• Electra
• Etcetera
• Exotica
• George
• Genghis or Gilbert
• Jemima
• Macavity
• Plato
• Pouncival
• Rumpus Cat
• Sillabub
• Tantomile
• Tumblebrutus
• Victor
• Victoria

Orchestra

16 PIECE

• Woodwind I (Flute, Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax)
• Woodwind II (Bb Clarinet, Baritone Sax, Flute)
• Woodwind III (Oboe, Cor Anglais)

• Horn I
• Horn II
• Trumpet I (Bb Trumpet, Piccolo Trumpet)
• Trumpet II (Bb Trumpet, Flugel Horn)
• Trombone

• Keyboard I (any acoustic or electric piano)
• Keyboard II (programming is essential*)
• Keyboard III (programming is essential*)
• Percussion

• Cello
• Guitar (Electric, Acoustic)
• Bass
• Drums

* II & III require keyboard programming for either Korg Tritons or Kurzweil 2500/2600 (programming is provided along with hired music materials).

Alternatively RMS Keyboards can be used (please be aware there is a cost attached – further details available upon license being granted).

For further information please download the Materials Guide on our Resources page.

Set Requirements

CATS takes place in a junkyard on the night of the Jellicle Ball.

By Jeeves, a musical based on the beloved stories of Bertie Wooster and his butler Jeeves by P.G Wodehouse, is a totally rewritten version of a 1975 production. Featuring farcical site gags, nimble word-play, ingenious staging and 13 delightful songs composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Alan Ayckbourn, it is as refreshing and English as a cup of tea…

When Bertie Wooster’s banjo mysteriously disappears just as he is about to give a concert in a church hall, his quick-witted and unflappable manservant Jeeves suggests that he entertain his audience by relating the hapless romantic misadventures of his circle of high-society London cronies. With members of the audience playing the roles of Bertie’s friends onstage and Jeeves serving as writer, composer, director and props master, an impromptu theatrical extravaganza unfolds.

The show opened in Scarborough, UK in 1996, transferring to the Duke of Yorks Theatre and the Lyric Theatre in London. The North American premiere of By Jeeves was at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam in December 1996. A revised Goodspeed production played on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre in 2001. By Jeeves has also been filmed for video release.

Cast Requirements

PRINCIPALS

• 3 Women
• 7 Men

FEATURED

• 1 Woman
• 2 Men

Characters

• Bertram Wooster
• Jeeves
• Honoria Glossop
• Gussie Fink-Nottle
• Harold ‘Stinker’ Pinker
• Stiffy Byng
• Bingo Little
• Sir Watkyn Bassett
• Madeline Bassett
• Cyrus Budge III (Junior)
• Other Personages (3)

Orchestra

6 PIECE

• Keyboard 1 / MD
• Keyboard 2
• Woodwind 1 (Flute, Alto Sax, Bb Clarinet)
• Guitar (Acoustic)
• Double Bass
• Drums

Set Requirements

BY JEEVES takes place on the stage of a church hall, later improvised to represent a London flat and the country house and grounds of Totleigh Towers.

It tells the story of Akaash, a young slum dweller, who dreams of becoming a huge movie star, and of his fateful encounter with beautiful Priya, the daughter of one of Bollywood’s greatest film directors. Can he achieve his dream of stardom or will this come at a price? Will Akaash and Priya’s love survive? And will they find, like in all the best Bollywood movies, their happy ending?

Featuring a script by Meera Syal with lyrics by Don Black, the original London production of Bombay Dreams opened on June 16th 2002 and closed on its second birthday in 2004. The show ran on Broadway from April 2004 to January 2005.

The show opened at the Cambridge Theatre, London on 26th September 2000 and ran until 1st September 2001. During its run the show was awarded the prestigious Best Musical Award in the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards 2000.

Under the watchful eye of team coach Father O’Donnel, John and Del both show enough promise to pursue careers as professional footballers. They’re just two regular teenagers who dream of nothing more than girls and football. When they find love with their girlfriends Mary and Christine, they become swept up in the events that engulf their community and, as time passes, each has to decide whether or not to follow their hearts.

Ben Elton tells their story with humour and compassion, with lyrics that are both funny and heartbreaking. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s evocative new score combines heart-searing ballads and stirring anthems with the sounds of Ireland. This powerful and passionate musical is a joyous celebration of the freedom that love can bring.

ORCHESTRA

9 PIECE

• Woodwind I (Flute, Piccolo, Penny Whistles)
• Percussion
• Keyboard I
• Keyboard II
• Keyboard III
• Guitar
• Bass Guitar
• Drums
• Violin (standard or electric)

Aspects of Love is a musical in two acts, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart, based on the novel by David Garnett.

The show tells the story of passion, love, life and loss across three generations of a family and their artistic companions, against a background of 1940’s France and Italy. “Love Changes Everything” was a huge hit for Michael Ball, who starred in the original production in London and on Broadway. It was first produced at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London on 17th April 1989, where it ran for 1,325 performances before finally closing on 20th June 1992.

Cast Requirements

PRINCIPALS

• 2 Women
• 1 Teenage Girl
• 2 Men

FEATURED

• 3 Women
• 2 Men

ENSEMBLE

• Singing-Dancing Ensemble with numerous small roles

Characters

• Alex Dillingham – a young Englishman
• Rose Vibert – a struggling actress
• Marcel Richard – an actor-manager
• Crooner (off-stage)
• George Dillingham – Alex’s uncle
• Giulietta Trapani – an Italian sculptress
• Jerome – George’s gardener
• First Fairground Barker
• Second Fairground Barker
• Elizabeth – George’s housekeeper
• A Hotelier
• A Hotel Cashier
• A Doctor
• A Pharmacist
• A Gondolier
• A Registrar
• An Assistant Registrar
• Hugo – Rose’s lover
• Jenny Dillingham – daughter of George and Rose
• Ensemble (suggested minimum 8 men 6 women)

Orchestra

14 PIECE

• Woodwind I (Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo)
• Woodwind II (Oboe, Cor Anglais)
• Woodwind III (Bb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet)
• Woodwind IV (Flute, Bb Clarinet, Alto Sax)

• Horn
• Percussion
• Keyboard I (Piano/Celeste)
• Keyboard II

• Violin I
• Violin II
• Viola
• Cello
• Double Bass

Set Requirements

ASPECT OF LOVE takes place in France and Italy between 1947 and 1964. A unit set is suggested to achieve fluidity and various locations.

SPECIFIC LOCATIONS

• The Garden at Pau
• A Small Theatre in Montpellier
• A Café in Montpellier
• The Railway Station
• In a Train Compartment
• The House as Pau
• The Terrace at Pau
• Outside the Bedroom
• Up in the Pyrenees
• Outside the House at Pau
• The Railroad Station
• A Fairground in Paris
• George’s Flat in Paris
• Guilietta’s Studio in Venice
• A Café in Venice
• A Registry Office
• A Military Camp in Malaya
• A Grand Theatre in Paris
• Rose’s Dressing Room
• The Countryside around the House
• Inside the House at Pau
• A Circus in Paris
• Jenny’s Bedroom in Paris
• The Vineyards at Pau