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Michael Bruce

Published Monday 2 November 2009 at 18:35 by Mark Shenton

Two years ago, a young composer called Michael Bruce won the Stage-sponsored Notes for The Stage competition, as a result of which his entry, Children, was heard as part of the 2007 Christmas in New York concert at the West End’s Lyric Theatre. I should declare an interest here - I was part of the judging panel that made that choice. And now I’m relieved to be able to report that our faith in this exceptional talent was fully justified - but more importantly, so has the faith that the producers Neil Eckersley and Paul Spicer have invested in him, in every sense, in nurturing him to the next stage.

Given how, outside of Andrew Lloyd Webber, hardly any British composers of new musicals are ever heard in the West End, it’s a stunning act of belief that they now given him a full West End showcase all of his own. And in an evening of nearly 30 songs, he seizes the moment - a little tentatively at first, but with growing confidence - as he leads it from the piano.

Although I’m tempted to echo the Blossom Dearie song and declare, “You wear too much puce, Bruce” in reference to the vivid purple suit he sports, he certainly stands out from the songwriters that are trying to make their mark in this crowded field.

He has a remarkable facility to change between different moods and melodies. That bodes well for someone who will need to harness his talent into creating evenings with plenty of both - but there’s also something immediate, fresh and contemporary about his musical sensibility too, that puts one in mind of a younger version of Jason Robert Brown.

And just like his American counterpart, he creates story songs that must be a treat to perform and duly attract high-calibre performers to do so. In fact, it has the slight problem of making his own vocal contributions harder to take - he’s not in the same league as some of those who are performing here. The ever-invaluable Julie Atherton provides a comic highlight with In a Disney Way, written especially for her, and reprises the hauntingly melodic Children with spellbinding emotion. Another comic bullseye comes from Emily Tierney’s hilarious rendition of Continental.

But if the comic numbers score particularly highly, there’s plenty to enjoy from the rest of a stellar line-up that also includes newcomer Phoebe Fildes (who won her own chance to be here by a YouTube competition), Finty Williams, Helena Blackman, Sarah Lark and Jessie Buckley, among others. The future of British musical theatre was being forged before our eyes and ears. It was a privilege to be there to witness it.

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