Following the announcement that MTFestUK 2023 will be held, this year, at both The Other Palace and Turbine Theatre, casting for the eight new musicals is now complete.

 The Other Palace will present Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy’s Dark Lord, which has direction by Andy Fickman and musical direction by Katharine Woolley.

A 12-year-old boy claims he’s a monstrous Dark Lord, banished from his magical dimension by a white wizard arch enemy. Placed with foster parents, he hunts for the portal to his homeworld while combating the horrors of middle school.

The cast includes: Marianne Benedict as Hillary Purefoy, Gillian Ford as Dr Elizabeth Wing, Gabriel Hinchcliffe as Keith, Ellis Kirk as Dirk Lloyd, Alexander McMorran as Jack Purefoy, Jena Pandya as Sooz Kicklighter and Tristan Whincup as Chris Purefoy. The cast is completed by the ensemble including Robbie Alexander, Max Cadman, Maxwell Griffin, Teleri Hughes, Sophie Hutchinson, Jessica Lim and Kaine Ruddach.

P Burton-Morgan and Ben Glasstone’s Sherlock Holmes and The Poisonwood will be directed by Burton-Morgan, with musical direction by Ellie Vekerk.

A whip smart new rock musical. Sherlock is shredding away on his electric guitar when Dr Watson enters with a case - they must move fast to uncover the truth before the digital manipulations of tech billionaire Jan Moriarty get them cancelled…permanently.

The cast includes: Max Alexander-Taylor as Sherlock, Ben Glasstone on backing vocals and drums, Aisha Jawando as Watson, Ishmael Kirby as Yorri and on bass guitar, Gillian Kirkpatrick as Moriarty, Richard Peralta as Lestrade and on guitar with Curtis Volp on backing vocals and guitar.

Annabelle Lee Revak’s Train on Fire is directed by Ellie Coote, with musical direction by Lauren Hopkinson.

Kitty Marion just wanted to sing. Instead, she became one of the most volatile suffragettes in Britain’s history. Train on Fire is a show where the feminists of today tell the story of a feminist of yesterday.

The cast includes: Chrissie Bhima as Sushama Sen (Kitty 1), Courtney Mae Briggs as Christabel Pankhurst (Kitty 5), Bob Harms as The Men, Megan Hill as Emeline Pankhurst (Kitty 4), Freddie Love as Hylda Cross (Kitty 3) and Meesha Turner as Aunt Dora (Kitty 2).

Tori Allen-Martin and Adam Gerber’s Precipice will be directed by Sarah Henley, with musical direction by Gerber. 

Five friends in their 30s metaphorically falling off the edge of a precipice as they face questions around sex, sexuality, fertility and legacy. A pop infused romp through finding a way to make your mark in the world when the clock keeps ticking faster.

The cast includes: Tori Allen-Martin as Demi, Julie Atherton as Tula, Declan Bennett as Kyle, Olisa Odele as Arty and Lauryn Redding as Charly.

Presented at the Turbine Theatre is The Government Inspector, with a book by Jodie Prenger and Neil Hurst, and music and lyrics by Cat Gisby and Maxwell Tyler. The piece will be directed by Andrew Beckett, with musical direction and orchestrations by Jordan Clarke 

Taking inspiration from Nikolai Gogol’s 19th Century satirical comedy, this modern adaptation opens the famous black door of number ten Downing Street for a tale of greed, a tale of power and a whole lot of musical madness.

The cast includes: Will Callan as Jake, Vinny Coyle as Yash/Davenport, Aidan Cutler as Prime Minister, Sarah Harlington as Karen/McDougal, Tom Hext as Buggins/Micklethaithe, Liv Koplick as Lucy, Mari McGinlay as Smythe and Susannah Van Den Berg as Morley.

Come Dine With Me has a book and lyrics by Sam Norman, with music by Aaron King. Created with Nell Butler and Genevieve Welch, the showcase will be directed by Robyn Grant, with musical direction by Amy Hsu.

Take a bunch of tuneful strangers. Mix in a dollop of behind-the-scenes skulduggery, a sprinkling of star-crossed love, a Sound Man jumping to all the wrong conclusions, and plenty of juicy arpeggios. Marinade, cook for sixty minutes, and serve hot.

The cast includes: Alex Cardall as Teddy, Kim Ismay as Barbara, Eleanor Kane as Bex, Sorelle Marsh a Mary, Shem Omari James as Ernest, Shane O'Riordan as Roy, Steven Serlin as Duncan and Micha Richardson as Janey.

Pump Up The Volume by Jeremy Desmon is based on the screenplay by Allan Moyle. It has direction by Dave Solomon, with musical direction by Debbi Clarke. 

A shy teen rocks an oppressive, small town by launching an underground Pirate Radio station, broadcasting nightly as the raucous shock jock “Hard Harry.” When tragedy strikes, this unlikely hero must find his true voice and keep the air alive.

The cast includes: Simon Bailey as Lieutenant Hunter, Jaina Brock-Patel as Nora, Ben Culleton as Ricky, Sha Dessi as Tracie, Noah Harrison as Mark/Hard Harry, CJ Johnson as Principal Cresswood,  Nicole Lily-Baisden as Paige, Danny Nattrass as Mazz Oisin Nolan-Power as Malcolm and Talia Palamathanan as Stacey.

Finally, Out The Box has a book by Preeya Kalidas and Arun Blair Mangat, with music and lyrics by Kalidas and Craig Shenton. It is directed by Shiv Rabheru, with musical direction by Tom Slade.

Maya finally opens the box left for her, after her mother’s death. The box unlocks memories of the past and a journey of discovery for Maya as she shares her story. An exploration of self-love, culture, relationships, and empowerment.

The cast includes: Hannah Yun Chamberlain as ensemble, Lorna Gayle as Dona, Nick Hayes as Charley, Preeya Kalidas as Maya and Serina Mathew as ensemble.