BWW Interviews: Composer Michael Bruce, Prior To His Concert UNWRITTEN SONGS

Hi Michael! How exciting to have another concert featuring your work in the West End! This one at the Delfont Room sounds like it'll be more intimate than the Apollo - is that about right?

Oh yes, it'll be much more intimate. I'm kind of looking forward to the informality of it all. The Apollo was the first time my work was the focus of such large scale event, and I guess like everything, it was a learning curve. I came away wanting to do it over again just to take it all in. This time I really want to enjoy the Delfont Room and have fun with the cast and audience.

This concert coincides with the launch of your album - what can we expect from the CD?

We've selected a bunch of songs that reflect my early career. There's a real variation in styles and performances, but I wanted to maintain the songs' sense of theatricality whilst translating them onto a recording. Most are from shows I've written or one-off cabaret songs. ‘Unwritten Song' was written specially for this album.

And once again, you've got some top-class performers - it must be so exciting to see and hear your music come to life with such talent?

I know! I feel so blessed to get to work with such great people, and a lot of them have become my friends over the last few years. I guess sometimes I take it for granted that I can call up someone incredible like Julie Atherton and go, "Hey Julie, fancy singing this new song I wrote?" And she'll go "No", but at least I can always call...of course I'm joking - she's such a great supporter of new writing. That's what's so great about working with all of these actors - they're so keen to do new stuff. Ask any of them and I bet they'll tell you that new writing is the future lifeblood of the industry, and it should be nurtured and taken seriously.

What are your next projects in the pipeline?

The next big thing I'm doing is a new score for ‘Much Ado About Nothing' at Wyndhams Theatre. I've also just done a comedy pilot for BBC3 and am working on a new musical at The Bush.

Michael Bruce: Unwritten songs is at the Delfont Room at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London on Sunday 20th March. Box Office: 0844 482 5110 www.michaelbrucesongs.com

 

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