The Art Alice Arts Trust (AAAT) was formed in 1997 by Lanre Olagoke and registered as a charity in 2001, with the aim of helping children, adolescents and young adults find an opportunity to realise their potential and find their place in society through the use of art.

www.artalive.org.uk

My Runway Group is a Platform for Youth Development and Creative Growth founded by Kojo Marfo. Over the last six years, MRG has championed Youth Excellence through exhibitions, initiatives, programmes, creative productions and workshops with organisations such as the British Film Institute, Goldman Sachs, English National Opera and more.

www.myrunwaygroup.com

"BLANKFACE is a spectacular thought-provoking piece displaying racial and political themes linked closely to youth culture and knife crime. The innovative theatre production from London uses movement and artistic language to illustrate the unspoken issues in society today. The story follows a group of black youths abducted by a white supreme scientist, who aims to control and brainwash the individuals by infecting black-on-black violence, in order to regain dominance within his race. This piece is the most important work I have ever produced because of the relevance to the times we live in." - Creative Director, Maxwell Chartey

• Mainstage

Stiletto

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In Italy during the 18th century, an average of 5,000 boys were castrated annually. Almost exclusively, they came from poor families. Their treble voices intact, castration promised those who survived a chance to earn fame and fortune by singing female roles in the opera. A few made it, but most didn’t and were swept aside.

Stiletto, a new musical with Music and Lyrics by three-time Grammy nominee, Oscar and Golden Globe nominee Matthew Wilder (Disney’s Mulan), Book by double Olivier Award nominee Tim Luscombe (Noël Coward’s Easy Virtue, Terrence Rattigan’s The Browning Version and Harlequinade), is set in Venice, Europe’s opera capital.

During the winter of 1730-31, Venice is a city bristling with opportunity where fortunes can be made but life is cheap. A city of lustre and intrigue with plenty of chances of success for Marco, who was castrated as a child to retain his perfect voice. Opera stars being the rock stars of their day, Marco is on course to be an 18th-century Jagger or Bowie, to snag a powerful patron and play leading roles.

In a busy square he meets Gioia, confident, strong willed...and supremely talented. But despite her musical gifts, being the daughter of an African slave, there’s no chance for her to fulfil her dreams. Marco recognises her talent and, sensing that they are both outsiders as well as sharing a love for music, they fall in love.

In an attempt to get her on stage, Marco introduces Gioia to society and his patron, the Contessa Azzurra, but at the end of the evening, a body lies dead and Gioia is hauled off to prison. To free her, Marco must overcome the demons of his past and the morally corrupt forces of the present.

Click here for exclusive first listen to Stiletto

Creatives:

Music & Lyrics: Matthew Wilder

Book: Tim Luscombe

Director: David Gilmore

Staging Consultant: Anthony Van Laast

Musical Director: Jae Alexander

Orchestrator: Simon Nathan

Set Designer: Ceci Calf

Costume Designer: Anna Kelsey

Lighting Designer: Ben Ormerod   

Sound Designer: Andrew Johnson

Casting: Neil Rutherford

Executive Producer: Guy Kitchenn

Produced by Patrick Bywalski for the Robert Stigwood Organisation and Steven M. Levy for Charing Cross Theatre Productions Limited.

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