Workshops of Buchan and Barne’s new musical MONA LOSER to be presented at Southwark Playhouse
Credit: Rebecca Pitt
The team behind the critically acclaimed Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) reunite to present a series of workshop performances of Mona Loser, a new musical with an original pop score by British writing duo Kit Buchan and Jim Barne, directed by Tim Jackson.
Produced by Tim Johanson Productions, with Birmingham Hippodrome, Mona Loser is a contemporary musical set in the music industry about viral fame, fakery and identity, drawing inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the modern monsters created both on and offline.
Four workshop performances will take place at Southwark Playhouse Borough (The Little) from 16–19 July with all tickets at £20, offering audiences a first glimpse at this new work-in-development. Featuring Melanie-Joyce Bermudez (Loves Labours Lost, RSC; King Lear, Wyndham’s Theatre) as Mona, these workshops mark the beginning of the creation and development process which is supported by Birmingham Hippodrome’s New Musical Theatre Department, a department dedicated to championing original British musical theatre.
Writers Kit Buchan and Jim Barne said: “We’re delighted to be premiering Mona Loser in this special workshop production. It’s a show about the pop industry, personas, and the stories we spin - and we can’t wait to see how it connects with a live audience.”
Director Tim Jackson added: “I am thrilled to be directing the first-ever workshop presentation of Mona Loser. This work-in-progress sharing is a rare opportunity to experience a brand-new musical in its earliest form - alive, raw, and evolving. Kit and Jim have been busy creating something very special, full of their trademark wit, heart, and flair, and I'm delighted to be back working with them.”
