Unfolding - the musical

05/08/2026

As many head to Edinburgh, I'm working on a hopeful Arts Council application to help fund Unfolding's next step at our very own local fringe theatre festival - Landmark Loading at Key Theatre in November ^_^

This little moment from the London sharing (featuring the glorious Christina Modestou, Mel Lowe, Jodie Jacobs and Gina Beck ) sums up so much for me right now. ❤️
They say write what you know...I think I wrote this line before I even really knew what it meant. But here I am, wading through paperwork and the bits I find so hard, in order to pursue something I'm really not sure how to live without now. All of the struggle, all of the doubt...and yet🎼x


videographer Ian Bowkett, Band Liz Townsend Andrew Ruddick Adam Mansfield

30/07/2026

https://keytheatre-peterborough.com/events/landmark-loading-festival/
I mentioned recently that I was one of five Seed Commission artists being supported by the Key Theatre and Landmark Theatres .
Well, I can say now that I get to share Unfolding on **Friday 13th November, 7pm**, as part of the Landmark Loading theatre festival!🥰

Landmark Loading is a new, four day, theatre festival coming to the Key Theatre in Peterborough; a chance to see new work and different formats at different levels of development.
It's really, really cool! Aaaaand the best bit is that one ticket covers all four days, (both matinee and evening presentations) and costs just £20!! 💫
So, you can grab a £20 wristband to come see Unfolding on the Friday evening, but also - for no extra cost - enjoy whatever else the festival is offering up!

Fancy a bit of Edinburgh Festival without the travel and a little less choice anxiety? £20 gets you four days of theatre festival in Peterborough! 🤩 Or, you can see it as a £20 ticket to come and see how Unfolding has developed since its September production!

Landmark Loading Festival will run from the 12th – 15th November, celebrating new writing, creative development and local talent at the Key Theatre. Wristbands just £20 for all 4 days.

16/07/2026

What a group that came together for the industry workshop of Unfolding. 🥰
A West End cast (gathered by the amazing Peter Noden) whose brilliance as humans matches their brilliance as performers, crew and band made up largely of our very own home team from the Between the Bars production in Cambridge (with assist from Tom at The Other Palace), and all under the direction of the superb Grace Taylor and associate director Alex Jackson.

This was two worlds coming together in some ways. But it didn't feel that way. From day one we were all planet Unfolding :D
I have said since the very first demo recordings that I've felt so lucky as a new MT writer to be in rooms with good people. Talented, yes (so much talent!!!), but also kind souls. Understanding people, who care about the material and each other.
I went into this London chapter hoping to keep that same spirit in the room...and, blimey, we did. So much. I already miss these wonderful people. x

As for what they all brought to the sharing itself - I couldn't have asked for more. The work and commitment and desire to really bring out the best of the piece I'd edited down to was just amazing for me to see and be a part of. We landed on a very condensed sharing that also managed to keep the heart of the show, across song and dialogue, and these wonderful performers sold it all beautifully. Billy's It Starts Small had us sobbing. Dialogue had us laughing. The air safety demonstration a ca****la had the audience clapping and stopping the show! To pull those reactions out in a shorter version of a piece in a concert staging? Magic.

Anyone who's been close to me on this project so far knows that I don't let go easy. I've written, composed and produced this thing from the start. Booking, designing, planning, marketing, fundraising. I've controlled nearly every part of the process for two years. I've done it with amazing support, but I've always found it hard to stop and step back, worrying that one iota of my time not spent on bettering this project is a squandering of the faith and support shown to it so far.

Well, on Tuesday 14th, at 14:30pm at The Other Palace, I was forced to do just that. I sat down. I let go. And I watched a truly wonderful team present my work. It was out of my hands and I couldn't do anything more.
And they blew me away.🤩
So, so grateful for it all. And to those who joined us for the sharing. x

15/07/2026

As if there was ever any doubt.
Things got tense when Ralph Bogard took us up to a tie in the great pickled onion and beef debate, but tie-breaker Gina Beck (Rose herself!) naturally chose the beef, and made it the flavour of choice for the Other Palace industry sharing cast 🐄🎉🎉🎉
(Sorry, Mark!)

There will be some serious archival updates and photos soon, I promise. But, look, this stuff matters 🤣

15/07/2026

Expect a post dump soon! I've been so engrossed in it all this last week I've barely had the chance to post. But yesterday saw what we'd all been working towards come to light - the industry sharing! ✨
It went so well and I'm so proud of the whole team. The cast UTTERLY smashed it and my heart swelled! Whatever happens, or doesn't, I know I gave it my very all.

It was an odd moment for me, sitting down after my intro and realising that, for the very first time in two years...it was out of my hands.
There was nothing I could do but watch and trust.

And what a team to trust in. A very special group of people who now have permanent residence in my heart. ❤️

I have so much to process and say, and photos to share, (and the results of the cast monster munch tally!) but, for now, here's Liz Townsend and I right after the event and post drinks, on our way home from another world.

We did it! ✨✨

11/07/2026

Important news from the unfolding rehearsal room this week. Yes, yes, the cast are truly spectacular, and sound amazing, and are working incredibly with script and song cuts to get this sharing run time where we want it...
..but which monster munch flavours are they eating?
Photo tally:
Christina Modestou - beef
Mel Lowe - pickled onion
Jodie Jacobs - pickled onion
Billy Roberts - pickled onion
Eva-Rose Tanaka - beef

03/07/2026

And here's the cast announcement for our industry sharing, part two!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rose - Gina Beck
Mark - Billy Roberts
Tessa - Eva-Rose Tanaka
Rose's dad (and a multitude more) - Ralph Bogard
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I feel insane levels of excitement and nerves at the thought of kicking off rehearsals on Monday with this incredible cast that Peter Noden and Grace Taylor have brought together for us.
I am a very lucky writer, and I know it - For the people on this journey, and for the support that's helped it happen at all! ✨🎶

02/07/2026

Well, here we go! The unfolding industry workshop starts rehearsals on Monday and I've been SO excited to share our amazing cast with you! ✨✨
Let's kick off with Rose's crew! ❤️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Florence - Jodie Jacobs
Natasha - Mel Lowe
Carly - Christina Modestou
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Peter Noden has done a phenomenal job and we cannot wait to dive in to this chapter of Unfolding! 📨

More announcements tomorrow! ^_^

18/06/2026

I am incredibly excited to be able to share this news.
Yes, I'm working with the wonderful team at Peterborough's Key Theatre - as part of the Key Seeds program, along with this great group. ✨
More information as we go, but you can expect to see some shape or form of Unfolding hitting the stage in Peterborough in November! ^_^ 📩📫

🌱 Meet the 2026 Key Seeds Artists 🌱

We’re delighted to introduce this year’s Key Seeds cohort of five exciting artists and companies developing new work through the Seed Commissions programme.

✨ Emma Vieceli – A theatre-trained, sometime-performer, full-time comic book writer and artist by trade, developing Unfolding, an original musical.

✨ Jessy Roberts – Director, dramaturg and founder of Teastain Theatre, creating new writing and an adaptation that breaks form and asks audiences to feel more connected to the world around them.

✨ Ryan Gilmartin – Award-winning actor and writer from Peterborough, developing a football-inspired gig theatre piece set in the Fens, soundtracked by iconic FIFA songs and original music.

✨ Tara Quinn – Writer and theatre-maker from East Anglia, developing Dke Play*, a celebration of le***an sisterhood and a look at how le***an identity has changed across generations.

✨ Tear it Up Theatre – A female-led company making work that is punchy, political and playful, developing BATTERED, a new musical comedy set in a fish and chip shop.

We can’t wait to follow their creative journeys and see these exciting new works develop over the coming months!

08/05/2026

Just two weeks until this gorgeous Leading Voices London concert at The Union Theatre 🎼

Two chances (2pm and 5pm) to be immersed in wonderful music from new and emerging composers in Musical Theatre, sung by this glorious choir! Do grab your tickets:

📍 The Union Theatre
🕑 Matinee 2pm | Evening 5pm
🎟️ https://uniontheatre.biz/show/fresh-off-the-score-summer-edition-2026/

I'm beyond chuffed that Dear Rose is one of the numbers the group have chosen for this special concert, and to have it alongside some incredible composers and heroes!⭐