MUSE: THE SHAKESPEARE MAYHEM MUSICAL to be Presented at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The production will play at Cowbarn, a flagship venue of Underbelly, one of the festival’s leading theatre operators.
The new musical comedy Muse! by Hanna Andréa (music and lyrics, co-writer), devised by students at Interlochen Arts Academy with Lisa Sanderson, will be presented as a featured production at the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The production will play at Cowbarn, a flagship venue of Underbelly, one of the festival’s leading theatre operators.
Blending pop musical comedy with absurdist theatrical flair, Muse! invites audiences into the imagination of a young William Shakespeare—before he became the Bard—when his own characters revolt and battle for the chance to become his first great play.
Before he was the Bard, he was just Will… with a problem: his publisher will only print one of his plays. With Puck as instigator, Lear, Cleopatra, the Macbeths, and more of Shakespeare’s greatest characters erupt into rebellion in a chaotic race to become the chosen tale. Pop musical comedy meets absurdist theatre in this riotous story of ambition, ego, and the birth of a legend.
Muse! is a fast-paced theatrical showdown as icons of literature compete for the spotlight in a pop-infused musical spectacle that celebrates creativity, ego, and the unpredictable nature of storytelling.
Concept Album Now Available - Ahead of its Fringe debut, Norwegian-American pop artist Hanna Andréa released the official concept album for Muse! online, giving audiences an early taste of the show’s energetic pop score and irreverent humor. The album is available on major streaming platforms (Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify).
Nationwide Virtual Casting Search
To bring this ambitious new production to life, the producers will launch a nationwide casting search in partnership with Murnane Casting (Chad Eric Murnane, CSA & Amber Snead, CSA) to discover the performers who will originate the roles at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The search will invite actors from across the United States to audition for the opportunity to debut the musical on one of the world’s most celebrated international stages. For more info and to submit an audition, please visit www.musethemusical.com
Muse began at Interlochen Arts Academy, where eleven students—guided by their teacher, Lisa Sanderson, and led by composer Hanna Andréa—found themselves without roles and chose to create their own opportunity. Together, they devised what became Muse, a bold, original musical that mirrors its own story of young artists taking control of their creative futures. Following a successful New York premiere at the Clark Theatre at Lincoln Center featuring the original student cast, the show is now moving into its next chapter, supported by a seasoned team of Broadway professionals and heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The creative team includes Music and Lyrics by Hanna Andréa, who is also a Co-Writer, Lead Writer Lisa Sanderson, Director Mindy Cooper (Chicago, Titanic), with music director Seth Farber (Soul Doctor) and orchestration by James Conner. Casting is by Murnane Casting/Chad Eric Murnane, CSA and Amber Snead, CSA., the stage manager is Marissa Councill, assistant director and assistant stage manager is Matthew Dunivan. General management by LDK Productions/Michael Shannon. Muse! is produced by Leikari Lochlann, LLC, and executive produced by Lisa Dozier Shacket (Be More Chill, Mama I'm A Big Girl Now, and Without You), with associate producer Logan DeWitt (Pen Pals).
Underbelly's the Cowbarn is at Bristo Square (Bristo Square, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG).
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