Nenagh composer’s show hits London stage

A NENAGH-BORN composer has written a new musical that will hit the London stage this weekend and run for most of August at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Tom James McGrath’s show, The Queen Is Mad, will play two preview performances at The Lion and Unicorn Theatre in London on this Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27, before transferring to ZOO Southside at Edinburgh Fringe from August 1-24.

The three-actor production features stars Maria Coyne, as Joanna, who featured in the West End productions, The King & I and Phantom of the Opera, and Robert Finlayson, as Ferdinand, who has starred in Road Show and Evita, as well as  Loughrea-born Brian Raftery, as Philip - star of the West End productions, Sweeney Tod and Her Way.

The show has been described as a dark saga about Catherine of Aragon’s fiery older sister.

The show’s lead single ‘Locked Away’ recently featured on BBC Radio 2 and was a finalist for the 2024 Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Prize.

This three-actor musical takes inspiration from the true story of Joanna of Castile. When Joanna unexpectedly inherited the Spanish throne in 1504, her father and husband conspired to usurp her power by convincing the world she was insane.

Joanna is fiery, headstrong, and outspoken - everything a 16th century princess is not supposed to be.

When she unexpectedly becomes Queen of Castile, her father and husband are determined to silence her.

She went down in history as Joanna the Mad – but what if she wasn’t insane, but furious?

HEAPS OF PRAISE

The show has already received great praise, with  TheatreAndTonic.co.uk describing it as an ambitious score with “a classic theatrical sound” and “melodies which melt into dissonant, menacing lullabies”.

AdventuresInTheatreland.com enthused that the show was “funny, heart-breaking and range inducing”.

Co-author of the show with the Nenagh native is Amy Clare Tasker. Both are 2024 Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Prize Finalists.

Composer and Musical Director of the show, McGrath, said: “The Queen Is Mad has a fresh new sound that hasn’t been heard before in musical theatre.

“My influences for the show have included Stravinsky, Sondheim, and Max Martin.

“I want my music to move audiences with songs that are catchy and signable, but also haunting and profound.”

Director, Amy Clare Tasker said of the main character, Joanna: “She went down in history as Joanna the Mad – what if she wasn’t insane, but rightly furious at the way she was treated?

“How much has really changed for powerful women between Joanna’s time and the Free Britney campaign? The Queen Is Mad reclaims Joanna’s story as a quest for freedom and agency in a male-dominated world.”

NENAGH BACKGROUND

McGrath, who grew up in Richmond, Nenagh, and later Dromineer, is a former pupil of Youghalarra National School and Nenagh CBS. His is a son of Aidan Bent and the late Margaret Bent (née McGrath) both is parents grew up in Gortlandroe, Nenagh.

His love of music was particularly fostered by his mother, a teacher at Carrig and Youghalarra schools, who was for many years Director of the church choir in Youghalarra.

McGrath’s passion for music as a child was also nourished in the school of music run by Betty Callinan of Monaree, Nenagh, where he attended with his twin brother, Rowland. He also has a sister, Jenny, a qualified primary school teacher.

Tickets are now on sale for this weekend’s shows in London and for the August shows at Edinburgh Fringe.