The Sheffield University Performing Arts Society (SUPAS) have announced production team members for their first semester shows Be More Chill and Amélie, both to be staged at the University of Sheffield Drama Studio later this semester. Following extensive searches to complete their teams earlier this year, the society have completed their recruitments and revealed who will be charged with bringing each of these shows to life, consisting of both returning SUPAS names and new faces to production team roles.
Taking to social media earlier today, the musical theatre society congratulated “both production teams for [their] Semester 1 shows”, with each production teams’ announcement matching the artistic style of their production. Production teams (‘Prod Teams’) are charged with the creation of their allocated show, including not only coordinating acting and rehearsals, but also technical and band elements of the finished show.
Beginning with Be More Chill in week 9, the American-based musical will be directed by Alice Bell (Made in Dagenham, The Addams Family), with Jack Wheatley and Tommy Roberts (The Addams Family) as Musical Director and Assistant Musical Director, respectively. Completing the production team are Choreographer Zara Walton (Made in Dagenham, The Addams Family) and Production Manager Lily Rayson (Made in Dagenham, The Addams Family).
Be More Chill “tells the story of an unpopular teen who takes a supercomputer pill to become cool – only to discover that the A.I. inside wants to take over the world”. The society are producing the 2019 West End version of the musical, which starred Miracle Chance, Renée Lamb and Millie O’Connell, but cancelled many performances as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Their larger-scale show, scheduled for week 11 of the semester, returns to Europe with Amélie. Directed by Alfie Cowgill (Made in Dagenham, The Addams Family) and Assistant Directed by SUPAS Publicist Katie Weller (Made in Dagenham, Songs for a New World), the slightly larger 6-person production team also includes Charlie Harmer (Made in Dagenham, The Addams Family) as Musical Director, assisted by Tessa Chan, Lucy Thickett as Choreographer and Maddy Allen (Made in Dagenham, The Addams Family) as Production Manager.
Amélie, also being staged as the 2019 West End production, “is the story of an astonishing young woman who goes along quietly amongst the world but lives loudly within her mind”. Starring Audrey Brisson and Danny Mac, the 2019 production was nominated for three Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical.
With less than two months until both productions’ opening nights, we are beginning to learn ever more details about SUPAS’ ventures this coming semester, and two-thirds of their 2024/25 production programme. As production teams begin their work of crafting these two shows, we await in anticipation for cast information and further details as the show dates begin their approach.
SUPAS’ Be More Chill plays from November 27th to 30th at the University of Sheffield Drama Studio. Amélie plays in the same venue from December 11th to 14th
