New Sci-Fi Musical To Receive World Premiere At The Playground Theatre

The Playground Theatre today announces the world premiere of Fanatical, a musical by Matt Board and Reina Hardy, set to open in the autumn of 2018 with a company that includes Suanne Braun (Stargate/Red Dwarf/Mamma Mia/Cabaret)). The announcement is made in conjunction with a crowdfunding campaign, which also launches today.

In a distant Galaxy - the ragtag misfit crew of cargo ship Angel 8 are under the command of fearless pilot Iris Aucht.

Meanwhile...at a conference centre, somewhere in England - a ragtag misfit collection of 1,000 fans gather from all across the UK for Eight Con One, the first ever official convention of the cult TV show Angel 8.

Angel 8 started as a comic created by reclusive British Sci-fi author Scott Furnish. Its first TV outing ended on a shocking cliffhanger. With eager anticipation at the promise of a second series, these enthusiastic devotees have come together to celebrate their beloved series and to meet Scott face-to-face and hear his keynote speech.

Fanatical is about being true to oneself, finding love against the odd ,and snatching triumph from the jaws of disaster - proving that no power in the universe can keep a story from its fans.

Matt Board is a composer, lyricist and musical book writer. He co-wrote the book, music and lyrics to Austentatious, which has played in London, New York, Philadelphia and Calgary. He was a finalist in the Search For A Twitter Composer competition and Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Award and was commissioned by Comedy Central to write Friends: The Opera for a gala performance in London. Matt's other work includes Two's A Crowd, which featured in the Perfect Pitch New Musicals Festival, music and additional lyrics for the short film The Dance To War (Catsnake Films) and music for the New York premiere of Reina Hardy's play A Map To Somewhere Else.

Reina Hardy is a playwright. Her plays have been seen across America, including The Rorschach Theatre in DC and the Vortex in Austin. She's a Michener Fellow, winner of the 2014 KCACTF TYA Prize, finalist for the Terrence McNally Prize and the recipient of an Interact 20/20 Commission

The Stable is a Production Company, established to commission develop and present original musical theatre www.thestablemusicals.co.uk

The Playground Theatre's mission is to work with both established and emerging artists in the UK and internationally. The ethos is one of cross-fertilization between different forms and different cultures with the aim of creating work that is bold and imaginative, while fully engaging the rich diversity of the community of which it is a part. This May the theatre presents the stage premiere of Shirleymander, which charts the events behind the Shirley Porter Westminster Council 'homes for votes' scandal of the 1980s. Anthony Biggs's production will run from May 23 to June 16 and will star Jessica Martin as the former leader of Westminster Council.

A crowdfunding campaign with some wonderful Fanatical-related perks is also launching today to help raise funds to enhance the band for Fanatical.

From exclusive Fanatical T-Shirts to the opportunity to attend dress-rehearsal, come to the cast party, have an exclusive performance for friends and family and have the show's composer write a tailor made song to for one special donor

Full details on crowdfunding can be found here - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/fanatical#/

There is also an opportunity to support through the Pass It On scheme which will help open up the doors of the Playground Theatre to somebody who otherwise would not be able to afford the cost of a ticket. All Pass It On tickets will be distributed via a network of charities and support groups working with The Playground Theatre.