Old Tonbridgian’s musical comes to Abbey Road

A new British musical written by a former Tonbridge School pupil is being staged at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios in December.

Just four exclusive performances of The Dreamers, a new show written by James Beeny (OH 99-04), will be performed by a cast of West End stars and a live band in the iconic Studio One, which will be transformed into a theatre for the first time in its history. 

Inspired by true events, The Dreamers is set at the outbreak of the First World War and is a testament to the power of comradeship in the face of adversity.

It follows a young and inexperienced officer named Reggie, who is pushed into leadership by his rich and powerful father. On an ill-fated voyage to the battlefield, Reggie struggles to hold his unit together when a jealous and bitter recruit, Jack, stirs trouble amongst the men. 

Disaster strikes when their ship crashes, and amid the chaos Reggie and Jack are thrown together. 

James said: ‘Having worked in a band for several years, my co-writer Gina Georgio and I had always planned to write a musical. It was upon the discovery of the extraordinary story of Reggie Salomons, a First World War hero from Tunbridge Wells, that we were inspired to create our first show. It is a real privilege to see The Dreamers coming to life as a full production with a West End cast.”

The Dreamers will be directed by Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy (Associate Director Les Misérables UK Tour 2018, Miss Saigon UK Tour, and Phantom Of The Opera 25th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall).

There will be four performances of The Dreamers on 7 and 8 December (2pm and 7.30pm). The event is being co-produced by Stars Foundation for Cerebral Palsy and any profits from the event will go to the charity. 

Find out more, including how to book tickets, click here. 

Pictured: James Beeny and Gina Georgio at Abbey Road.