A Brief History

There are many amateur groups based in Edinburgh which produce musicals, all of  which cater to the needs of their members. Such “membership” companies have their place in acting primarily as a social group for the enjoyment of performing and spending time with friends, and the staging of a show is a welcome secondary outcome. Such companies are necessarily limited by their ability and scope to tackle stage works which may be less familiar to their members, or audience and therefore in danger of not fulfilling their primary remit of keeping happy the individuals who subsidise the productions.

The alternative is to establish a production company that exists to further its own aims, rather than those of subscribers or cast members. Such a company would be artistically free to pursue unusual productions, less familiar approaches to staging traditional shows, or innovative and daring designs which diverge from the mainstream concept of shows that may have been seen on the stages of Edinburgh for decades. The Melodramatics is such a company.

In December 2004, The Melodramatics devised and produced an original musical revue Musical Mayhem at St Bride’s Centre, Edinburgh. Despite boasting a cast of 10, this was largely staged by the individual creative efforts of a very small number of dedicated people. The success of Musical Mayhem, along with an interest in exploiting a specific gap in the provision of music theatre in and around Edinburgh, has been instrumental in establishing the Melodramatics as a fully fledged performing company.

This gap refers to a particular style of chamber music theatre which has become popular on Broadway in recent years and which is not generally attempted by other music theatre groups in the area. Whereas there will always be a market for spectacular, mega-budget effects-laden blockbusters such as Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King or Wicked, these productions must run for extended periods of several years at high capacity before even breaking even. Producers are starting to turn to smaller, more intimate shows, such as Avenue Q and The Last Five Years, to compliment their more boisterous cousins, and to provide entertainment based more directly based on traditional Broadway ideals such as a witty book, or innovative musical integration.

The Melodramatics followed up Musical Mayhem by staging the Scottish premiere of the acclaimed Broadway revival version of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown in 2006. The show received critical plaudits and introduced the company to a significantly broader audience. The decision to stage this particular production reflects the second guiding principle of The Melodramatics – to stage less well known shows and bring them to a wider audience with high quality production values. Starting up a new theatre company is not without its difficulties, not the least of which is establishing a reputation for bringing a highly entertaining product to as wide an audience as possible. We were therefore delighted to be able to take this production to the Byre Theatre in St Andrew’s and showcasing The Melodramatics in a professional theatre to Fife audiences.

In April 2007 The Melodramatics staged the local amateur premiere of The Secret Garden. Although a larger show, it fulfilled the remit of the company as it is based on a classic children’s story and therefore has a powerful and well written narrative driving the action, and, of course, we had the opportunity to introduce new audiences to this beautiful and underrated musical for the first time in Edinburgh. We stayed true to our goals by stripping much of the lavishness from the production of the show and presented it in an accessible yet innovative design which captivated audiences whilst engaging them at the heart of the story. The show won excellent reviews and universally positive testimonials from professional and non-professional theatre fans who attended.

The Melodramatics is overseen by a team of four Producers with over 50 years experience in professional and amateur musical theatre between them. By bringing professional experience from London’s West End and combining this with a considerable performing and directing background in the amateur musical scene in Edinburgh and Fife, and financial and management skills, the Producers bring a breadth of knowledge and expertise to the business of running a production company.

In April 2008 The Melodramatics performed the first production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods by an Edinburgh company for 15 years. This show introduced a stunning cast of 17 principal actors who combined to tell the familiar stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk and other fairytale favourites. It’s a tale with a twist however, as the different strands unfold to tell the untold stories of what might have happened to each of the characters when they meet and they discover that “sometimes people leave you, halfway through the wood. Others may deceive you, you decide what's good.”

Into the Woods has won five Tony awards, seven Drama Desk Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards since it was first staged in 1987 and is one of Sondheim’s best-loved works. The Melodramatics’ production will be performed in the show’s 21st anniversary year.

THE MELODRAMATICS PRODUCERS:

Susie Dumbreck and Moray Nairn

Her theatre credits include: The Witch, Into the Woods (Jack Lyons theatre & Landor Theatre, London); Olga, Nine (Donmar Warehouse); u/s Madame Thenardier, Les Miserables (National tour); Ellen & u/s Aunt Eller, Oklahoma! (RNT & Lyceum, London); Eliza Doolittle, My Fair Lady (Perth Rep Theatre); Audience Member, Jerry Springer the Opera (Battersea Arts Centre, London); Trudi, Comic Potential, Sharon Graham, Master Class, Queenie & Maureen, Honk, Alyson, A Grand Night for Singing (Byre Theatre, St Andrews).

Her session singing and concert credits include: Fame (Swedish Tour); Masters of the House (Stoke, Pitlochry, London); Something’s Coming (Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Edinburgh); Les Miserables Charity Benefits (Bristol, Southampton, Huddersfield).  Susie was a semi finalist in the first ever BBC Voice of Musical Theatre competition in Cardiff 2000, where she sang with the Welsh Concert Orchestra.   Film and

TV credits include: The Harry Bailey Show (Firehouse Productions), Oklahoma! (Prime Time Productions), The Royal Variety Performance 1999 (BBC), Chess Anniversary Concert at The Royal Albert hall starring Josh Groban.

Since moving home to Scotland in 2002, she has continued in a professional capacity as director for various local companies.  Credits include, Oklahoma! (Kings Theatre, Edinburgh) & Company (Churchill Theatre, Edinburgh / Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy) Edinburgh Music Theatre; Musical Mayhem (St Brides Theatre, Edinburgh), You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (Byre Theatre, St Andrews), The Secret Garden, Into the Woods & Kiss of the Spider Woman (St Brides Theatre, Edinburgh), The Melodramatics; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy) KAOS; A Grand Night for Singing (Byre Theatre, St Andrews); Little Shop of Horrors & Jeykll & Hyde (Carnegie Theatre, Dunfermline) Limelight Theatre Productions. 

She is currently working on The Rink for Tempo Musical Productions

Musical Direction credits include: You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (Byre Theatre, St Andrews), The Secret Garden, Into the Woods & Kiss of the Spider Woman (St Brides Theatre, Edinburgh), The Melodramatics. A Christmas Carol (Barclay Church), The Wonderful World of Schwartz, Masquerade: The Music of Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Disney Through the Decades (musical director, writer and concept - St Andrew & St George’s Church), two productions of Gilbert & Sullivan Go Wilde, The Zoo, Forbidden Fringe (all Edinburgh Festival Fringe), The Gondoliers, Yeoman of the Guard, Princess Ida, The Pirates of Penzance (Church Hill Theatre, Edinburgh)

Theatre credits include: Sid Sorokin Pajama Game; Mr Snow Carousel (Churchill Theatre), Colvin Teller of Tales; Lucentio / Bill Calhoun Kiss Me Kate; Rocky Damn Yankees (King's Theatre); Jackson Pennington - The Hired Man; Simon Stride Jekyll and Hyde (St Bride's Centre); Pish Tush Hot Mikado; Whittleby Murder at the Savoy European Premiere (Edinburgh Fringe). Peter Jesus Christ Superstar; Man Bernstein's Mass; Alexis The Sorcerer; Man Sweeney Todd

Concerts: Something’s Coming (Associate Artistic Director - EFT), So Strong (Aid for Asia), Some Enchanted Evening, Filmaid.