THE DEVELOPMENT OF CENSORED - THE MUSICAL
It was whilst performing on a cruise ship that Glyn Bailey first had the idea of writing a musical about one of England’s greatest novelists.
Bailey, like D.H. Lawrence, was born in Nottingham, England and, also like Lawrence, had spent much of his life travelling, working and living in other parts of the world.
It was Lawrence’s mixed feelings towards the town and country of his birth that first inspired Bailey to embark on this project.
Eastwood, England, 2000
The work was first staged in 2000 as a dramatised, fully-costumed concert version with music and lyrics by Glyn Bailey, narrative by Carol Lehan, direction by Keith Thomas and musical direction by Glyn Bailey. The orchestra was conducted by Ricki Holmes.
It was performed in Lawrence’s hometown of Eastwood - with a professional cast that included West End and Broadway stars Garth Bardsley (Phantom of the Opera, Showtune, et al), 2010 Tony Award nominee, Christiane Noll (Jekyll and Hyde, Urinetown, Ragtime, Dear Evan Hansen, et al) and opera and concert star Diane Atherton in the respective lead roles of D.H. Lawrence, Frieda von Richthoffen and Jessie Chambers.
Although it received much critical acclaim in this format, it was clear that to make it work as a full-blown musical, it needed a book (script) that would encompass the exciting twists and turns of Lawrence’s often wretched life.
New York novelist, Theasa Tuohy joined Bailey in developing the book. With Thomas directing, workshops were run in the USA and UK over a two-year period, each time prompting changes and re-writes.
Thomas then joined as co-bookwriter and after further developments and restructuring, the project eventually emerged as a full-blown musical.
Guildford, England, 2006
In July 2006, the Guildford School of Acting mounted a fully staged production of the musical at The Bellairs Playhouse. Direction was by Russell Labey and musical direction was by Peter Roberts.
The audience loved the music and the story and proclaimed the show “worthy of the West End”. Seeing the musical in performance gave Thomas and Bailey the chance to assess the value and impact of each scene on the audience. They also showed the script to various experts for comment. All this resulted in further changes and improvements.
Nottingham, England, 2008
D.H. Lawrence was born in Nottingham and attended Nottingham High School and Nottingham University College. So, it was very fitting to present a concert version at the Nottingham Playhouse in June, 2008.
With a cast of 18 and an 8-piece orchestra, the show was extremely well-received. According to many, it was the best production of its kind to be staged at the Playhouse. Thomas directed the production and musical direction was by Bailey.
The writers are indebted to Giles Croft, the then artistic director of Nottingham Playhouse, for opening the door to them and making this possible.
Find out more
New Orleans, USA, 2009
In March 2009, a fully staged production of the musical (with a 21-person cast and a 14-piece orchestra) was mounted by Jefferson Performing Arts Society in a 1,200 seater theatre in New Orleans.
D.H. Lawrence was played by Broadway star Bart Shatto (Les Miserables, Civil War, Dracula, War Paint, et al) and Frieda von Richthofen was played by West End and cabaret star Lindsay Hamilton (Les Miserables, Evita, Showtune, et al).
The writers brought in Stephen Duckham to direct, Thomas designed the production and Bailey was Musical Director.
It was the New Orleans production that brought the musical to the attention of producer Wesley Payne, a former theatre owner and theatre veteran from Chicago. Soon after seeing the production, Payne came onboard and began to work with Bailey on rewrites of the book and on seeking potential future production opportunities. Find out more
London, England, 2013
The musical made its London West End debut at the Bridewell Theatre in October 2013 - to great critical acclaim. A representative from a leading international theatrical production company said it was the best musical of its kind that she had ever seen! Thomas directed and musical direction was by Bailey. Bart Shatto reprised the role of Lawrence and Jessica Sherman played Frieda. Find out more
London, England, 2017
Two concert performances of songs from the show were performed in London as part of the 14th International D.H. Lawrence Conference. West End lead, Jason McCann (Les Miserables, Whistle Down the Wind), played Lawrence and US soprano and actress Jennifer DeLatte (A Little Night Music, Jekyll and Hyde, et al) played Frieda. Supporting roles were played by Emily Cox, Nina Farris, Keith Thomas, Wes Payne and Glyn Bailey. The audiences were composed mainly of Lawrencians and academics and on both occasions they where totally enthralled by what they heard. Thanks to Dr Catherine Brown, the conference chair, Censored was heard and enjoyed by a truly international audience.
Covington, Louisiana, 2018
Bart Shatto, Jennifer DeLatte, Micah Desonier, Glyn Bailey and Wes Payne presented an informal and intimate show at the famous English Tea Room in Covington, Louisiana. The event featured several songs from Censored as well a fascinating talk about Lawrence's life and work. A specially brewed Lady Chatterley Tea was served for the occasion, along with a four-course meal.
The Future
The creative team continue to seek every opportunity for the musical in the future.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MUSICAL HAS HAD SEVERAL OTHER NAMES DURING THE COURSE OF ITS DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER, FOR THE SAKE OF SIMPLICITY, ON THIS WEBSITE ITS CURRENT (AND FINAL) NAME IS USED WHEREVER POSSIBLE.