PLAYWRIGHTS' PRODUCTION TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE IN CAPITAL

The Derby Telegraph - 3rd March 2008 

Written by Loui Downing

Two young playwrights have been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see their play performed at a top London theatre.Robert Scott and Luci Fitzpatrick recorded song lyrics from their self-penned musicals and sent them to London show producers.

Producer Mr Scott, of Tailby Drive, Willington, said the opportunity was fantastic but he was determined to keep his feet on the ground.

The 23-year-old said: "We were very shocked, we didn't expect to even get a look in. It's very, very nervewracking at the moment, we're still trying to take it all in. We were down there last week and it's a massive theatre.We're taking every show as it comes, as it all could be taken away from us.But there will be more to come after and I am hoping it will lead to more plays and more opportunities."

The play, Moonlit Sky, will be performed at the 1,000-seat theatre on Sunday, July 27, and Robert and 17-year-old Luci, of Castle Road, Church Gresley, said that all 30 roles in the play will be taken by young Derbyshire and East Staffordshire actors and actresses.

Casting auditions for the show took place on Saturday at Burton's Brewhouse arts centre, in Union Street. The pair are hoping for an audience of 600 to 700, due to the cast size, and are planning to put on coaches to take local supporters. Her Majesty's Theatre is currently home to Phantom of the Opera but the show is not performed on a Sunday.Robert is funding the hire of the theatre himself, for an undisclosed amount expected to run into thousands of pounds. 

Luci, a Burton College performing arts student who writes, directs and acts in her free time, said the whole experience seemed surreal.

She said: "At first I doubted that we had been selected to appear in the West End, but at the same time incredibly grateful for the chance. It all feels surreal - attending interviews with producers in London, and then the next day I'm sitting in a classroom being taught, so it really hasn't sunk in yet for me."

Mr Scott, a special-needs support assistant at Willington Primary School, began writing short stories at school and has been writing music since he was 15. It was not until May 2006 that he made his musical writing and directing debut - a gothic version of Beauty and the Beast in May 2006. He met Luci when she auditioned to play a part in another of his productions, Dolterris. They set up Utopian Artists Ltd in September 2007, a voluntary music company designed to help young artists in the Derbyshire and East Staffordshire area and together they wrote Moonlit Sky. The play is a musical based on three characters with diverse and troubling lives. They all meet and change people's lives forever.

Tickets are expected to be available soon from www.seetickets.com and www.utopianartists.co.uk

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