Book and Characters by Nora Brigid Monahan
Music and Lyrics by Alexander Sage Oyen
Starring Luke Bayer
TURBINE THEATRE, LONDON (2022) • THE KING'S HEAD THEATRE, LONDON (2024)
UNDERBELLY COWGATE, EDINBURGH (2024)
DIRECTOR • SET DESIGNER
Best Off-West End Production 2023 WhatsOnStage Awards Nomination
Best Performer in a Musical 2023 Offies Winner
Best Musical 2023 Everything Theatre Awards Winner
Set in the Seventh Circle, hell’s most squalid cabaret venue, high school diva Desmond Channing recounts the events that drove him to murder his drama club rival in this dark solo comedy musical. Luke Bayer performed a multitude of characters, bringing the students and faculty of Ronald Raegan High School to life with hilarious variety and incredible skill. The Guardian commended the show’s “deft direction” and heralded the performance as “unmissable.”
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Nora Brigid Monahan and Alexander Sage Oyen’s blistering one man musical finally premiered in London at the Turbine Theatre in August 2022 starring Luke Bayer. The production was nominated for Best Off-West End Production at the 23rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, it won the inaugural "Ettie" (Everything Theatre Award) for Best Musical, and Luke Bayer won Best Performer in a Musical at the 2023 Off West End Theatre Awards (the Offies). In 2024, the production was revived by Blair Russell Productions for a limited summer run at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington, before heading to the Edinburgh Fringe at Underbelly Cowgate.
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PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Creatives
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Book and Characters - Nora Brigid Monahan
Music and Lyrics - Alexander Sage Oyen
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​KING'S HEAD AND UNDERBELLY COWGATE (2024)
Director - Joe McNeice
Musical Director and Keys - Debbi Clarke
Percussion - Jonnie Grant
Bass - Ben Uden
Choreographer - Anna Hale
Set Designer - Joe McNeice and Pip Terry
Lighting Designer - Adam King
Sound Designer - Jonathan Chan (King's Head) and Aidan Jones (Underbelly Cowgate)
Production Manager - Emily Obasohan
Stage Manager - Meghan Bartual-Smyth
Assistant Stage Manager - Johann Heske (King's Head) and Em Langan (Underbelly Cowgate)
General Manager - Ameena Hamid and Grace Dickson for Ameena Hamid Productions
Produced by Blair Russell for Blair Russell Productions
For Blair Russell Productions:
Blair Russell, Ido Gal, Nikki Malloy, Isaid Corona and Emily Obasohan.
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​TURBINE THEATRE (2022)
Director and Set Designer - Joe McNeice
Musical Director and Keys - Debbi Clarke
Percussion - Jonnie Grant
Choreographer - Anna Hale
Lighting Designer - Alistair Lindsay
Sound Designer - Richard Carter
Production Manager and General Manager - Sarah Barron
Stage Manager - Meghan Bartual-Smyth
Producer - Alistair Lindsay
Cast
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​KING'S HEAD AND UNDERBELLY COWGATE (2024)
Desmond Channing - Luke Bayer
Cameo Voiceovers - Tracie Bennett and Jak Malone
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​TURBINE THEATRE (2022)
Desmond Channing - Luke Bayer
Desmond Channing (Understudy) - Jordan Walker
Cameo Voiceovers - Janie Dee, Claire Moore and Harriet Thorpe​​
Visit the show's Wikipedia page here.