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Stephen Keeling

STEPHEN KEELING

  (1966 - )
Nationality:    English
email:    n/a     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    United Agents  

Born in 1966 in Staffordshire, england, he trained at Goldsmith's College, University of London, gaining an honours degree in music. In 1990 he was chosen by Sir Cameron Mackintosh to be one of 12 writers to study with Stephen Sondheim during the latter's year-long tenure at Oxford University as the Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre. During his time with Stephen Sondheim at Oxford, he composed the music for Maddie (book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Steven Dexter), which was subsequently workshopped at the Royal National Theatre Studio before receiving its first full production at the Salisbury Playhouse. the production then transferred to the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury avenue in London's West end in 1997, produced by Kenny Wax Productions. He was the co-composer of the music for La Cava (book by Dana Broccoli, lyrics by John Claflin), which transferred from the Churchill Theatre, Bromley to the Victoria Palace Theatre, London in 2000 and then later transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre in the West end of London. He composed the music for a musical adaptation of Heidi (book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna), which combines the story of Johanna Spyri's first Heidi novel with the life of the author. Heidi opened in Switzerland in 2005. In 2007 a sequel, Heidi and Johanna (intertwining the second Heidi novel with the final years of Johanna Spyri's life and ending with her death), was nominated for a Prix Walo award. Stephen Keeling has also composed the music for My Father's Son, a musical set in nineteenth century Sheffield and based loosely on Shakespeare's Hamlet (book and lyrics by Stephen Clark, directed by Steven Dexter at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield and the Lilian Baylis Theatre, Sadler's Wells). For children he has composed the Other Side, a musical about the Children's Crusade (book and lyrics by Peter Spafford) and written the music for a musical adaptation of the amazing Mr. Blunden (book and lyrics by Edward Hardy). Keeling was a founding member of the Mercury Workshop, which merged with the New Musicals alliance to become MMD, a UK-based organisation developing new musical Theatre. In 1997, he appeared, together with Shaun McKenna, on BBC Radio 2's In Company With Sondheim in an edition devoted to Maddie.

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below is a list of Stephen Keeling's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Amazing Mr. Blunden, The         Devil And Mr Stone, The         Heidi         Heidi And Johanna         La Cava The Musical         Maddie         My Father's Son         Other Side, The

Amazing Mr. Blunden, The

Synopsis:
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Notes:
book And lyrics by edward Hardy; music by Stephen Keeling

1st Produced:
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Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
musical adaptation

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Devil And Mr Stone, The

Synopsis:
Based on the Faust legend. Set in the middle of the 19th century in the small, sleepy town of Cross Corners, New Hampshire. Before the night is over the devil's battle for the life and soul of Jabez Stone will involve Hanging Judge Hawthorne, one of the Salem witches, Dr Faustus, Teach the Pirate, Lucrezia Borgia and the Rakes of London Town.

Notes:
Book And lyrics by Dennis Pickford; music by Stephen Keeling

1st Produced:

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  2            Other:  5 neighbours / jury

Further Reference:
-

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Heidi

Synopsis:
the famous tale of the little Swiss girl who is transported from the alps to Frankfurt and heals a broken family by her good nature and belief in the power of belief. the tale is framed by the story of its author, Johanna Spyri, whose loveless marriage and dying only son provoke her into healing her own life by writing Heidi's story.

Notes:
From the novel by Johanna Spyri. Book & Lyrics by Shaun McKenna. Music by Stephen Keeling. German translation by Anya Hauptmann

1st Produced:
Wallensee    2005

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Gallissas, http://www.gallissas-verlag.de/ (publishers and rights holders)   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  13            Female:  13            Other:  ensemble

Further Reference:
-

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Heidi And Johanna

Synopsis:
a sequel to Heidi (intertwining the second Heidi novel with the final years of Johanna Spyri's life and ending with her death)

Notes:
Book & Lyrics by Shaun McKenna. Music by Stephen Keeling. nominated for A Prix Walo Award

1st Produced:
-    2007

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Gallissas, http://www.gallissas-verlag.de/ (publishers and rights holders)   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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La Cava The Musical

La Cava The Musical
Florinda Espatorias is the daughter of the Spanish general who is governor of Ceuta in North Africa in the early 8th century. When the colony is threatened by Moorish invasion, she is sent away to be schooled in the womanly arts in the court of King Roderic in Toledo, Spain. This takes her away from her childhood sweetheart and secret lover, Somal, the son of a Moorish rebel leader. She has also been promised in marriage to an army officer. King Roderic has shunned his queen, Exilona, because of her apparent infidelity while he was away at war. He is attracted to Florinda immediately upon meeting her. Florinda's lover is killed, almost accidentally, by Roderic's soldiers. Florinda, heart-broken, is spurred on by Exilona's loyal servant Agon to seek revenge by accusing Roderic of rape. Slowly, however, Roderic wins her heart, and she discovers that she is carrying his child. In regret, she tries to send a messenger to redact her claim. The messenger is killed, however, and her father joins with the Moorish army to defend her honor, and massive bloodshed ensues.

Notes:
Book by Dana Broccoli, based on her novel. Music by Laurence O'Keefe and Stephen Keeling. Lyrics by John Claflin and Laurence O'Keefe. Addtional lyrics by Shaun McKenna. Additional music by John Cameron

1st Produced:
Churchill Theatre, Bromley    02 May 2000

Organisations:
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1st Published:
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Music:
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To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  9            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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Maddie

Maddie
When Nick and Jan Cheyney move into a new San Francisco apartment, they discover a message written in lipstick beneath layers of peeling wallpaper. the writer, Maddie Marsh, was a wannabe silent movie star who died just as her career was taking off. Maddie possesses the drab Jan, determined to have another crack at fame, and Nick falls in love with Maddie in his wife's body, causing all manner of mayhem.

Notes:
Book by Shaun McKenna & Steven Dexter, Lyrics by Shaun McKenna, Music by Stephen Keeling. Lyric theatre, Shaftesbury Ave 1997

1st Produced:

Organisations:
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1st Published:
Warner Chappell,    -

Music:
London cast recording: Dress Circle (CD 003) 1997

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Romantic musical comedy Musical

Parts:
Male:  5            Female:  5            Other:  ensemble

Further Reference:
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My Father's Son

Synopsis:
a musical set in nineteenth century Sheffield and based loosely on Shakespeare's Hamlet

Notes:
book And lyrics by Stephen Clark; music by Stephen Keeling

1st Produced:

Organisations:
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1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Musical

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Other Side, The

Synopsis:
about the Children's CrUSAde

Notes:
book And lyrics by Peter Spafford; music by Stephen Keeling

1st Produced:
-    -

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
children's musical

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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