FOREST BOY in NEW YORK CITY

Aim

We need your help to showcase new British musical theatre in the heart of New York City with our new show, FOREST BOY.

Who We Are

We are Noisemaker. We’re the award-winning Scottish writing partnership of actor/writer Scott Gilmour and composer Claire McKenzie. We create, develop and produce original musical theatre, designed to engage new audiences and challenge the expectations of musical theatre.

Both graduates of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, we began collaborating together as students and have gone on to create new work for theatres including Dundee Rep Theatre, The Roundhouse, St.James’ Theatre, The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, and now are beginning to be recognised internationally.

What’s Forest Boy about?

On 5th September 2011, a boy appeared in Berlin claiming to have lived in the forest with his father for the past five years. He had no memory of his past, only that his name was Ray and that he had travelled to Berlin following his fathers death in the woods. What followed were nine months of speculation, police enquiry and a global media frenzy, as the mystery of ‘Forest Boy’ was slowly unravelled. Based on an incredible true story, Forest Boy, combines fast-paced, visual storytelling with a powerful folk-inspired score to explore a modern-day fairytale of identity, growing up and, above all, imagination. 

What People Have Said

"the future of British Musical theatre is in safe hands. Forest Boy promises to be one of the outstanding achievements of the Fringe this year".Broadway Baby

" Hauntingly powerful music. Their goal to create and develop fresh and innovative music theatre has certainly been realised."The Herald

''a haunting score, this is a tantalising story told with total commitment"

British Theatre Guide

"a simultaneously earthy and soaringly fantastical production. Mature, emotive songs performed with great harmonies”Three Weeks

“a musical with huge promise, and it’s a pleasure to be able to watch it go from strength to strength”.www.musicaltheatrereview.com

What Else We’re Up To

We’ve just been named one of the New Voices of 2016 by New Musicals Inc and Walt Disney Imagineering in Los Angeles. Selected from writers all over the world, we were one of 9 teams picked, which will lead to a showcase of our work in LA with support from Walt Disney Inc.

Little Red and the Wolf recently completed a critically acclaimed run at Dundee Rep Theatre and has been nominated for a Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) for Best Production for Children and Young People 2016. View Trailer Here.

The Girl Who, the worlds first multi-path, choose-your-own-adventure musical is being developed by the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, New York and will tour NY state in Spring 2017. View Trailer Here.

and Forest Boy has won the Next Link Award and been officially selected from over 900 entries around the world to be presented at the New York Musical Festival 2016. However, in order to take part and attend the New York Musical Festival we are fundraising to allow us to showcase our work at the highest level. 

Why Do We Need Your Help?

From over 900 entries from around the world, Forest Boy, has been selected to be presented in the heart of the musical theatre industry in Manhattan. The production is scheduled to play at The Pearl Theatre, Off-Broadway from July 27th-Aug 2nd and in that time will be seen and reviewed by high-profile members of the industry as part of the New York Musical Festival. We will be working with a New York based cast and creative team, led by the internationally acclaimed director Robert McQueen (Mamma Mia, Showboat) and will rehearse in the City throughout July.

Developing Forest Boy in New York City will allow us to begin generating an international audience and income stream for our work, in turn enabling us to create higher quality work and bring these skills back to our base in the UK. Your support will not only allow us to develop as the next generation of musical theatre writers but will also allow us to promote new, innovative British writing in the epicentre of the musical theatre industry.

Why Should You Support Us?

£10,000 is only a portion of the total budget for Forest Boy at NYMF. Your support will help pay for production and rehearsal costs and allow us to take our team out to New York City. Every pound you can donate will be a vital lifeline for this project and allow a young, fresh writing team a career changing opportunity.

Our supporters so far include The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Help Musicians UK and The Bliss Trust in partnership with PRS Foundation. So, join us on this journey from Scotland to New York!

We appreciate you taking time to read about our project. With the right support we can fly the flag for Scotland’s new musical and creative talent in the heart of New York City.

Sponsorship

If you are part of a company that may be interested in sponsoring Noisemaker, we would love to begin a conversation with you. Contact us at [email protected]. If you make a donation or sponsorship payment through your US-based office and account, it will be fully tax-deductible! 

This project successfully funded on 28th June 2016