PIED PIPER, a Hip-Hop Family Musical, Will Embark on UK Tour

ARCADE will present Pied Piper, a hip-hop family musical told with beatboxing, live-looping, grime, and contemporary theatre. The production is written, composed and musically directed by Conrad Murray. Performances will run 21 Feb – 25 Mar 2026.

A hip-hop retelling of a medieval fable, Pied Piper will tour to six venues, featuring local young people alongside a cast of seven professional beatboxers - including a winner and a top competitor of the UK Beatbox Championships – and musicians. The re-imagining follows a group of children who work at the pie factory in Hamelin, where there is both a music ban and a serious rat problem. Told through beatboxing, live-looping, hip-hop, grime, and contemporary theatre, Pied Piper transforms the medieval tale into a high-voltage sonic experience where the enigmatic Piper shakes up a sleepy town with nothing but a microphone and his voice.

Written and composed by hip-hop theatre practitioner and Artistic Director Conrad Murray – creator of the hit stage production and BBC adaptation of Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster – this production draws on years of innovative vocal work and youth-led music theatre with the BAC Beatbox Academy. In each area, Murray will work with local young people to form a community chorus to play the townspeople of Hamelin, who appear on stage at key moments in the story, alongside the professional cast. Pied Piper originally premiered in 2023 at Battersea Arts Centre, winning an Offie Award for Music/Sound for Theatre for Young Audiences.

Conrad Murray said, “One of the reasons we created the show was because we wanted to show off the possibilities of the human voice, as well as the incredible skills of young people specifically from working class backgrounds who don't usually get access to the theatre. We chose Piper because it's a story which shows how we as humans need art, we need creativity, and we need it to be in our lives and in our schools. Ultimately, I want people to leave the show feeling like they've seen something that's so beautifully crafted and that there's hope for the future.”

Conrad Murray is a theatre-maker, writer, director, rapper, beatboxer and live-looper whose work blends hip-hop and contemporary theatre. He leads the BAC Beatbox Academy and has developed original music-driven performance with young artists since 2008. Through his company rODIUM Ltd, Conrad creates bold, socially engaged work that champions working-class voices and new forms of storytelling. His acclaimed productions — including Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster — have earned praise for their innovation, energy and authenticity. Conrad's practice is rooted in collaboration, community, and giving young people the tools to create and perform at a professional level. He is currently working as co-composer on Deep Azure by Chadwick Boseman at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at The Globe (7 Feb – 11 Apr).

Sophie Drury-Bradey, Co-Artistic Director and CEO of ARCADE said, “For us as producers, this is more than just touring a show, we are touring the notion that young people deserve to be centre stage. Pied Piper brings the opportunity for hundreds of young people across the country to take part in workshops preparing them to perform alongside an incredibly talented professional cast of diverse performers- an incredibly special experience that will be remembered forever.  We hope Pied Piper sparks the idea of the possibility of a creative career for the next generation, especially in areas outside London where often opportunities are lacking.”

Producers ARCADE, based in the East Riding of Yorkshire, are known for making and presenting high quality and dynamic artistic work, as well as providing opportunities for young people to participate in creative activities facilitated by world leading artists. Founded by Sophie Drury-Bradey and Rach Drew, ARCADE joined the Arts Council England's National Portfolio in 2023. Since it launched in 2020, ARCADE has conceived and led more than 52 projects, collaborated with more than 425 artists, created 80 new commissions and recently came to national attention with its immersive production Grue at Bradford 2025, UK City of Culture.

Tour Dates

21–22 Feb
Derby Theatre, Derby
Sat 6 p.m., Sun 2 p.m.
https://www.derbytheatre.co.uk | 01332 59 39 39

3 Mar
Jumped Up Theatre at The Cresset, Peterborough
1 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
https://www.jumpeduptheatre.com | 01733 352375

6 Mar
Lyrici Arts at GlassBox Theatre, Medway
1:30 p.m. & 6 p.m. (BSL interpreted)
https://www.glassboxtheatre.com | 01634 383388

12–14 Mar
Leeds Playhouse, Leeds
6 p.m.; Fri matinee 1:30 p.m., Sat matinee 2 p.m.
https://www.leedsplayhouse.org.uk | 0113 213 7700

22–23 Mar
Scarborough Spa, Scarborough
Sun 2:30 p.m., Mon 10:30 a.m.
https://scbo.littleboxoffice.com