The culmination of the 2021 Mentorship Award was a presentation of Omar Baroud's After Elijah at The Other Palace on Friday 1st July, and we were thrilled to host a packed house for the event!
Thank you so much to everyone involved; our brilliant Director Matthew Xia and Musical Director Flynn Sturgeon, the fantastic band, Stage Manager Danny Newton and of course the most wonderful cast: Sharif Afifi, Parisa Shahmir, Nick Carter, Jodie Jacobs, Stephen Rahman-Hughes and Lanna Joffrey!
Plus all the crew, TOP staff, and everyone who helped along the way - it takes a village to put on something like this!
We must also say a huge thank you to the team at Mercury Musical Developments and to Seán Gray and our generous sponsors Music Theatre International (Europe) - we really could not have done any of this without you.
From George & Anthony (August 2022):
"From the moment we read and listened to Omar’s first draft, we knew After Elijah was the work of a rare and original voice, telling a story unique to his Middle Eastern heritage and personal experience. Watching him grow in confidence and the piece find its’ feet has been a delight. Sharing that delight with a packed house at The Other Palace earlier this summer and seeing them swept along and visibly moved by the story was one of the absolute highlights of the Mentorship Award so far. Plans are advancing for a further workshop with a commercial producer, so we have high hopes for After Elijah's future as well as for the wonderful Omar Baroud."
Say tuned more for information on the future life of After Elijah, and for the next Mentorship Award - due to be officially announced in November '22!