The end of October is an exciting time in the British theatre calendar, as for the second time ever, MusicalCon in London opened its doors for the musical theatre fans of the nation (and beyond!). Following the inaugural MusicalCon last year, this year the event was back, bigger and better than before with lots of exciting showcases, panels, workshops, meet and greets, and everything in between! I could not wait to come back following my trip last year, and this year didn’t disappoint!
Day 1 – Saturday October 21st
Last year, I came down on the Saturday morning, but this year I thought I’d come to London on the Friday night so I could be there right at the start. However, Storm Babet had other ideas! With transport links down and my coach having to turn around, I booked onto one the next morning so didn’t arrive at MusicalCon until the final hour of the first day, meaning that I had missed the opening ceremony and most of the day 1 events. However, I made use of that hour and began with a shopping spree around Theatreland, a marketplace of small theatre businesses, photo opportunities & information booths. I picked up some pins from Musical Theatre Pins & some theatre postcards from The Playhouse Arthouse. It was here I ran into Ellie Talks Theatre, a YouTuber who reviews theatre productions on her channel.
I then ventured to the Main Stage for a performance by CAPA College, a school for drama, dance and production for theatre, film and TV. The day wrapped up with a Show Off between Heathers (represented by Erin Caldwell, Jodie Steele and May Tether) and SIX (represented by Claudia Kariuki, Ko Ko Basigara and Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky). With rounds on singing a song by a prop, guessing a song and show charades, SIX took home the crown, before we were treated to a rendition of ‘Heart of Stone’ by Claudia Kariuki to draw day 1 to a close. On my way out however, I was fortunate enough to meet Mickey-Jo Boucher (of MickeyJoTheatre) and Aeron James, professional theatre critics and influencers who commonly vlog their theatre experiences and thoughts; it was a sweet end to a tumultuous day!
Day 2 – Sunday October 22nd
I got to the ExCeL Centre bright and early this morning, arriving even before the queueing hall opened (and I wasn’t even the first one there!). In the queue we were treated to the talent of Broadway Boogie and the West End Musical Choir, with renditions of ‘Seasons of Love’ and ‘Love is an Open Door’, among others. As the queueing hall filled, the event opened up and the thousands of fans showing up for day 2 flooded in, the excitement palpable. I went straight to the Stage Door area where I began the day with a photo opportunity with Alice Fearn (Come From Away, Wicked), and we chatted about her time as Captain Beverley Bass.
As I got this done fairly quickly, I went to the Backstage Theatre for the All Roads Lead to the West End panel, discussing different routes that the panel took to reach West End roles. With artists such as Luke Bayer (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Hair) and Maddison Bullyment (SIX, Bridges of Maddison County), the conversation covered both conventional routes through different dramatic schools, and some slightly more unusual, such as progressing through acting on cruise ships! At the end of the panel, I got to meet and talk with Carl Man (& Juliet, Wicked) about his roles, both in the West End and previously.
It was then time to go to the next Stage Door opportunity, but whilst waiting, I was able to catch the Dear Diary: A Farewell to Heathers event. Hosted by producer Paul-Taylor Mills, this bittersweet event featured a panel discussion with the creatives behind the show, as well as performances from Jacob Fowler (U.K. Tour JD) and a unique rendition of ‘Candy Store’ from Maddison Firth (West End Heather Chandler), Erin Caldwell (West End Veronica Sawyer) and Verity Thompson (U.K. Tour Heather Chandler). As a fan of the show since MusicalCon 2022, having an event specifically to say goodbye to this musical was a lovely treat, especially with such talent on stage. It was then time for my next Stage Door experience with Aimie Atkinson (SIX, Pretty Woman, Death Note), who gave an amazing hug as we chatted about her role in the band SVN, made up of seven former queens from SIX.
Paul Taylor-Mills continued his time on the Main Stage with the New Shows Spotlight, where casts from five upcoming shows (SuperYou, Ride, babies, The Book Thief and Bronco Billy) each performed a number, as well as discussing the show briefly. The MusicalCon audiences seemed very excited about these new shows, particularly The Book Thief, with its young cast capturing the hearts of all those watching! Each show is set for a short trial or West End run within the next year.
I went over to the Backstage Theatre for the Accessibility on the West End panel next. New for 2023 and following the ground-breaking success of new musical The Little Big Things (our review can be found here), this panel discussed how the theatrical industry can better adapt to those with disabilities of all kinds, and the experiences of the panel in this regard. Many theatres are inaccessible to people with many disabilities, with even fewer being accessible for disabled casts and performers. Featuring guests such as Joseph Fletcher (Wicked) and Grace McGonigal (The Little Big Things, The Crucible), the panel was a stark reminder of the current state of accessibility, but also a celebration of the advances currently being made from accessible spaces to performances.
It was then time for a very special event. Tucked away in the Webber Room, was a discussion about How to Write a Musical, led by Jon Robyns (Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera) and featuring the composer of Miss Saigon and Les Misérables Claude-Michel Schönberg! The packed space was treated to an insight into the composing of such iconic shows by the man who made it all happen – what an experience! This session was quite short, so I was able to catch the end of the Black Excellence on Stage panel with Natalie Kassanga (Dream Girls, Dear Evan Hansen) and Miriam Teak Lee (Hamilton, & Juliet).
The Main Stage was then graced with the last competition of MusicalCon 2023, with the Cosplay Competition. Presented by Trevor Dion Nicholas (Hamilton, Aladdin) and Shanay Holmes (Get Up Stand Up!, Miss Saigon) with a star-studded judging panel, the cosplay masquerade was followed by a presentation by each of the ten finalists, with costumes including Katherine Howard from SIX, Sally Bowles from Cabaret and Squidward from The SpongeBob Musical, but it was a Christine Daae costume which clinched the victory, making it two years running that a costume from The Phantom of the Opera has won this competition.
My final panel of MusicalCon was the LGBTQIA+ on the West End panel. This showcase of queer power featured stars such as Matt Henry MBE (Kinky Boots, Drifters Girls), Allie Daniels (As You Like It, Legally Blonde) and Divina De Campo (The SpongeBob Musical, RuPaul’s Drag Race U.K.). They spoke about their experiences, the current political climate in regards to the LGBTQ+ community and how casting directors and production teams can better accommodate queer people.
The final hour was spent at the Main Stage, beginning with a Newsies cast reunion, with Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (Jack Kelly), Bronté Barbé (Katherine Plumber) and Ryan Kopel (Davey) talking with host Trevor Dion Nicholas about their time in the show, as well as performances of ‘Watch What Happens (Reprise)’, ‘Watch What Happens’ and ‘Seize the Day’. This event was followed by the closing ceremony, with performances from the biggest names in MusicalCon, including Jon Robyns, Shanay Holmes, Miriam Teak Lee, Trevor Dion Nicholas, Aimie Atkinson, Alice Fearn, Lucie Jones, and wrapping up with Layton Williams. This sensational set of performances was an exciting and powerful end to the second fabulous MusicalCon!
MusicalCon will return to the ExCeL Centre in London in 2024. For future updates about this event see @musicalconwestend on Instagram
