Barn Theatre to premiere new song cycle with a live ‘one-shot’ digital concert

The Barn Theatre will premiere brand new British song cycle, Now or Never, with an exciting and ambitious digital twist on 1 April for one night only.

In the venue’s first collaboration with associate artist Matthew Harvey, Now or Never follows seven people as they each take a defiant act of positivity in what could be their last week on Earth.

Harvey said “What’s been really inspiring to me, and probably the driving force behind Now or Never is the amount of good that has been happening in spite of the pandemic, especially within the theatrical community. I’ve watched countless streamed productions and even a handful of in-person ones that have been defiantly thrown together with love, from a community that have really struggled throughout the pandemic, but are still doing what they love, wherever and whenever they can. So, I wanted to write a song cycle that was all about hope in the face of catastrophe.”

The innovative digital spin presents the work as a non-stop, one-shot, song cycle, with one camera navigating the entire building, featuring 7 characters by moving between 7 spaces.

Creative Director of Digital Content Ryan Carter said: “What I love about working for the Barn is that I'm able to create without worrying about whether the team will be able to make it work. I could pitch a 40-minute, one-shot, live vocals, 7 spaces, no stop-and-starts, no cuts live stream, and not sweat one bit about whether we’d pull it off. I’m also absolutely thrilled to have been trusted with the creative vision of this piece's premier. The song cycle has a real future ahead of it, so it’s not lost on me that I get to look after its first iteration.”

Now Or Never is written by Matthew Harvey with creative direction by Ryan Carter and musical supervision by Freddie Tapner. Full casting and further members of the creative team will be announced shortly.  

For more information and to book tickets, please click here.