SAMSON
A Brand New Musical
written and directed by Ashton Moore
for AFK Productions
5th July 2015
The Palace Theatre, Southend on Sea
A Brand New Musical
written and directed by Ashton Moore
for AFK Productions
5th July 2015
The Palace Theatre, Southend on Sea
Dear Cameron Mackintosh,
First of all, before you read any further, just stop for a second and make sure that you are free on Sunday 5th July at 7.30pm. Done it? You are? Fantastic! Because you really don’t want to miss being witness to the birth of Samson, a brand new musical, at The Palace Theatre written by the insanely talented Ashton Moore.
The reason I can be so assured of your satisfaction at seeing this production is that I was fortunate enough to be invited to its preview performance. Written and composed entirely by Ashton, who at just 22 years old, is already in huge demand in and around Southend as musical director for productions such as Tommy for Leigh Operatic & Dramatic Society, Sister Act with Southend Operatic & Dramatic Society and The Last Five Years with his own production company AFK, just within the last year. This musical has been adapted from the Book of Judges and chronicles the life and struggle of Samson, including his ill-fated first marriage, crusade against the Philistines, and his romance with one of history’s most infamous femme fatales, Delilah.
Sitting in a school hall on this preview night and looking around at the cast that Ashton has amassed you come to realise what a deep reservoir of talent Southend has to offer. I see many familiar faces, all of whom have adorned The Palace Theatre stage over the years and it is testament to the faith these musicians have in Ashton’s vision that they have welcomed the challenge of being part of his creation. I say challenge because admittedly although I am no musician, even I can hear that this production has a score that involves some cleverly intricate orchestrations, emotive solo’s, amazing harmonies, melodies and chorus numbers that will simply have your spine tingling.
Haydn Cox stars as Samson and despite his diminutive figure channels Samson’s strengths as well as weaknesses through a voice that is destined for a truly promising future. This young man can really sing and his song “I Care” with Gemma Sibthorpe who plays his first wife, Serenet, is one that will prick the emotions of even the toughest audience member. Gemma is a joy to watch and has a gorgeous voice to match. The two are a fabulous pairing and really bring out the best of the harmonies that Ashton has written so beautifully.
Amongst the many cast members, familiar faces such as Peter Brown, Simon Bristoe, Scott Roche and Jonathan Buxton, all of whom have played lead roles within their own musical groups, sing core roles with powerful conviction and it is wonderful to see them all gracing the same stage. I really feel as if I am being spoilt with the wonderful collective voices coming out at me. Ben Huish, Tobias Smith and Chester Lawrence also stand out with strong voices.
Ashton’s compositions consist of soaring love songs, epic rock-infused orchestral numbers and much more, the original score is clearly influenced by gospel, folk, ethnic music and late 20th century musical theatre composers like Boublil & Schoenberg (Les Miserables, Miss Saigon), Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, Dracula) and Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast) and you can definitely hear these influences coming through. “The Terror on our Streets” certainly had a Les Miserables feel to it for me.
Sharon Rose, (taking a break from her band The Thorns) recently starred as Delores in Sister Act. She plays Delilah and Ashton has written songs here that I simply cannot imagine anyone else singing. “Play My Part” is a real show stopper.
With narration from David Streames and featuring performers from the Little Theatre Company, Leigh-on-Sea Operatic & Dramatic Society, Southend Operatic & Dramatic Society, the Essex Group, Chelmsford Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society, Tomorrow’s Talent and more, this production really has garnered the cream of the crop.
I have a strong feeling that we are not only witnessing the birth of a brand new musical here but also the birth of a brand new musical writing sensation - and his name is Ashton Moore.
Yours sincerely
Kim Tobin
PS. I had a chance to ask Ashton a few questions before the preview and here's what he told me.
First of all, before you read any further, just stop for a second and make sure that you are free on Sunday 5th July at 7.30pm. Done it? You are? Fantastic! Because you really don’t want to miss being witness to the birth of Samson, a brand new musical, at The Palace Theatre written by the insanely talented Ashton Moore.
The reason I can be so assured of your satisfaction at seeing this production is that I was fortunate enough to be invited to its preview performance. Written and composed entirely by Ashton, who at just 22 years old, is already in huge demand in and around Southend as musical director for productions such as Tommy for Leigh Operatic & Dramatic Society, Sister Act with Southend Operatic & Dramatic Society and The Last Five Years with his own production company AFK, just within the last year. This musical has been adapted from the Book of Judges and chronicles the life and struggle of Samson, including his ill-fated first marriage, crusade against the Philistines, and his romance with one of history’s most infamous femme fatales, Delilah.
Sitting in a school hall on this preview night and looking around at the cast that Ashton has amassed you come to realise what a deep reservoir of talent Southend has to offer. I see many familiar faces, all of whom have adorned The Palace Theatre stage over the years and it is testament to the faith these musicians have in Ashton’s vision that they have welcomed the challenge of being part of his creation. I say challenge because admittedly although I am no musician, even I can hear that this production has a score that involves some cleverly intricate orchestrations, emotive solo’s, amazing harmonies, melodies and chorus numbers that will simply have your spine tingling.
Haydn Cox stars as Samson and despite his diminutive figure channels Samson’s strengths as well as weaknesses through a voice that is destined for a truly promising future. This young man can really sing and his song “I Care” with Gemma Sibthorpe who plays his first wife, Serenet, is one that will prick the emotions of even the toughest audience member. Gemma is a joy to watch and has a gorgeous voice to match. The two are a fabulous pairing and really bring out the best of the harmonies that Ashton has written so beautifully.
Amongst the many cast members, familiar faces such as Peter Brown, Simon Bristoe, Scott Roche and Jonathan Buxton, all of whom have played lead roles within their own musical groups, sing core roles with powerful conviction and it is wonderful to see them all gracing the same stage. I really feel as if I am being spoilt with the wonderful collective voices coming out at me. Ben Huish, Tobias Smith and Chester Lawrence also stand out with strong voices.
Ashton’s compositions consist of soaring love songs, epic rock-infused orchestral numbers and much more, the original score is clearly influenced by gospel, folk, ethnic music and late 20th century musical theatre composers like Boublil & Schoenberg (Les Miserables, Miss Saigon), Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, Dracula) and Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast) and you can definitely hear these influences coming through. “The Terror on our Streets” certainly had a Les Miserables feel to it for me.
Sharon Rose, (taking a break from her band The Thorns) recently starred as Delores in Sister Act. She plays Delilah and Ashton has written songs here that I simply cannot imagine anyone else singing. “Play My Part” is a real show stopper.
With narration from David Streames and featuring performers from the Little Theatre Company, Leigh-on-Sea Operatic & Dramatic Society, Southend Operatic & Dramatic Society, the Essex Group, Chelmsford Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society, Tomorrow’s Talent and more, this production really has garnered the cream of the crop.
I have a strong feeling that we are not only witnessing the birth of a brand new musical here but also the birth of a brand new musical writing sensation - and his name is Ashton Moore.
Yours sincerely
Kim Tobin
PS. I had a chance to ask Ashton a few questions before the preview and here's what he told me.
Ashton Moore, director and composer of Samson
Why Samson? Are you a particularly religious person or did you just think that Samson was a good biblical yarn?
I'm not particularly religious, I sit pretty squarely in the agnostic area of the spectrum, but I am totally fascinated by the Bible and other religious texts. When I decided I wanted to write a whole musical I went straight to the Bible and read through the Old Testament (all the blood and thunder makes for a very stageable story!). Samson was an easy choice for me because it is a recognisable story full of love, lust and betrayal - that has never been made into a musical. The story is in places weirdly specific and in others very sparse, so the challenge of fleshing the narrative out and providing motivations etc. seemed very exciting!
Is this the first time you’ve written a full length musical?
Yes it is indeed, although I have written quite a few jazz and musical theatre songs, some of which formed part of an original musical to celebrate the Palace Theatre's 100th birthday. I also wrote an instrumental score for a play a few years ago. Now I truly have the bug and, as well as Samson, I have three fully formed musicals (and most of their songs) in the works.
How long did it take you to write it?
I've been writing this show on and off for about 3 years. The first song I wrote was written in June 2012 and the most recent was written literally four months ago, after the cast had been organised and tickets were on sale!
Did you have a cast in your head while you were writing it?
I had certain voices in my mind as I was writing - Haydn Cox for Samson and Simon Bristoe for Kalliades, for example, but I've been very fortunate to have worked with people who have immediately jumped out to me as being perfect for songs I'd already written. I almost feel like I was writing for Sharon to sing Delilah before I even met her, as artsy as that sounds.
How long have you been in rehearsal?
We've actually only been rehearsing since early May - a lot of the learning has been done through the distribution of demo tracks and such. We have a cast of people who are fast learners but also incredibly busy, so a short rehearsal schedule was necessitated!
When we think of Samson, it’s usually all about the hair and muscles and Delilah; is there more depth to your production?
One way I think this realisation of Samson's story is quite unique compared to the operatic, artistic and cinematic interpretations it's inspired is that it tells Samson's story starting with his first wife - who was also a Philistine! I think it's really important to explore that, as he makes the same "mistake" later with Delilah which causes his downfall.
Also there are no muscles at all - Samson is blessed with strength from God but there is no reason (or Biblical reference) to indicate that he was actually muscly. His physical strength is all the more spectacular as it comes from a seemingly normal-looking man.
I've also fleshed out the story - the Bible makes no mention of any of Samson's people and his friends, so I've delved quite deeply into how they would feel and react to his various actions and decisions.
How long was Samson in the making?
So I started writing in June 2012, I've been writing in short bursts since then. I started actively planning a concert with my co-producer Mark roughly this time last year, and I cast it by invitation in November.
Who or what are your inspirations and influences?
I adore the music of Jason Robert Brown and Alan Menken, and in this project in particular I think you can tell the latter. There is a lot of Menken, Wildhorn and Boublil/Schoenberg-inspired material in this score, but there is also a fair amount of ethnic-style drums, gospel and heavier rocky elements which I think/hope make my style quite distinctive and unique!
What does the future hold for you?
In terms of the future, I am unsure! I am working my way up the food chain (and into London) as a musician and musical director, but I also intend to work on some of my other original musicals as I am very passionate about the ideas. Of course if anyone wanted to perform, produce or workshop Samson I would love to be involved in that process as well - add to that the fact that I have a very enjoyable and fulfilling full-time job at a local primary school, and that all equals an exciting - but unpredictable - future!
I'm not particularly religious, I sit pretty squarely in the agnostic area of the spectrum, but I am totally fascinated by the Bible and other religious texts. When I decided I wanted to write a whole musical I went straight to the Bible and read through the Old Testament (all the blood and thunder makes for a very stageable story!). Samson was an easy choice for me because it is a recognisable story full of love, lust and betrayal - that has never been made into a musical. The story is in places weirdly specific and in others very sparse, so the challenge of fleshing the narrative out and providing motivations etc. seemed very exciting!
Is this the first time you’ve written a full length musical?
Yes it is indeed, although I have written quite a few jazz and musical theatre songs, some of which formed part of an original musical to celebrate the Palace Theatre's 100th birthday. I also wrote an instrumental score for a play a few years ago. Now I truly have the bug and, as well as Samson, I have three fully formed musicals (and most of their songs) in the works.
How long did it take you to write it?
I've been writing this show on and off for about 3 years. The first song I wrote was written in June 2012 and the most recent was written literally four months ago, after the cast had been organised and tickets were on sale!
Did you have a cast in your head while you were writing it?
I had certain voices in my mind as I was writing - Haydn Cox for Samson and Simon Bristoe for Kalliades, for example, but I've been very fortunate to have worked with people who have immediately jumped out to me as being perfect for songs I'd already written. I almost feel like I was writing for Sharon to sing Delilah before I even met her, as artsy as that sounds.
How long have you been in rehearsal?
We've actually only been rehearsing since early May - a lot of the learning has been done through the distribution of demo tracks and such. We have a cast of people who are fast learners but also incredibly busy, so a short rehearsal schedule was necessitated!
When we think of Samson, it’s usually all about the hair and muscles and Delilah; is there more depth to your production?
One way I think this realisation of Samson's story is quite unique compared to the operatic, artistic and cinematic interpretations it's inspired is that it tells Samson's story starting with his first wife - who was also a Philistine! I think it's really important to explore that, as he makes the same "mistake" later with Delilah which causes his downfall.
Also there are no muscles at all - Samson is blessed with strength from God but there is no reason (or Biblical reference) to indicate that he was actually muscly. His physical strength is all the more spectacular as it comes from a seemingly normal-looking man.
I've also fleshed out the story - the Bible makes no mention of any of Samson's people and his friends, so I've delved quite deeply into how they would feel and react to his various actions and decisions.
How long was Samson in the making?
So I started writing in June 2012, I've been writing in short bursts since then. I started actively planning a concert with my co-producer Mark roughly this time last year, and I cast it by invitation in November.
Who or what are your inspirations and influences?
I adore the music of Jason Robert Brown and Alan Menken, and in this project in particular I think you can tell the latter. There is a lot of Menken, Wildhorn and Boublil/Schoenberg-inspired material in this score, but there is also a fair amount of ethnic-style drums, gospel and heavier rocky elements which I think/hope make my style quite distinctive and unique!
What does the future hold for you?
In terms of the future, I am unsure! I am working my way up the food chain (and into London) as a musician and musical director, but I also intend to work on some of my other original musicals as I am very passionate about the ideas. Of course if anyone wanted to perform, produce or workshop Samson I would love to be involved in that process as well - add to that the fact that I have a very enjoyable and fulfilling full-time job at a local primary school, and that all equals an exciting - but unpredictable - future!
Tickets available from www.southendtheatres.org.uk
£12.00* Concessions £10.00*
A £1.50 per ticket booking fee applies, capped at four per order. Groups of 10+ please call 01702 351135 to buy fee-free.
£12.00* Concessions £10.00*
A £1.50 per ticket booking fee applies, capped at four per order. Groups of 10+ please call 01702 351135 to buy fee-free.