GILGAMESH – AN ANCIENT TALE, A NEW MUSICAL To Receive Research & Development At Guildhall School

A new musical retelling of the world’s oldest legend will receive Research & Development at London’s Guildhall School of Music & Drama in November 2025.

GILGAMESH – AN ANCIENT TALE will be developed and presented by creators Cameron and Natasha Lythgoe, with choreography by Bethany Rose Lythgoe, exploring the mythic story that helped define Western literature.

The presentation will feature Jeevan Braich, Bethany Rose Lythgoe, Esme Bowdler, Lilianna Hendy, Jacob Bailey, Renz Cardenas, Natasha Lythgoe, Alex Hancock, and Megan Parkes.

The one-week workshop period will take place with Guildhall’s Production Arts students at the start of November, culminating in a first-look presentation at the School’s Milton Court Theatre on 13 November 2025.

About the Musical

GILGAMESH – AN ANCIENT TALE reimagines the 4,700-year-old epic for a contemporary audience. The musical follows Gilgamesh, a tyrannical king whose grief over the death of his closest friend sends him on a quest for eternal life—only to discover something far greater.

“The story everyone should know, but not everyone does,” said Cameron Lythgoe. “It’s been wrapped up in complex translations for almost 5,000 years—a central story to humanity, teaching us about loss, love, friendship, and what it means to have a legacy.”

The Lythgoes’ score blends ancient and modern influences to bridge 2700 BC and the present day. The R&D will focus on staging and musical exploration, with Guildhall students providing technical and production support.

The sibling-led team from Liverpool—Cameron, Natasha, and Bethany Rose Lythgoe—will direct and produce the development, following their recent original works Pandemonium – The Musical, I Know What You Did Last Fringe, and Elementals – A New Subatomic Musical.