Thalidomide!! A Musical | |
---|---|
Music | Mat Fraser |
Lyrics | Mat Fraser |
Book | Mat Fraser |
Premiere | 2005: Battersea Arts Centre, London, UK |
Thalidomide!! A Musical is a British musical written and composed by Mat Fraser, who was born with phocomelia as a result of the drug thalidomide being taken during his mother's pregnancy. Fraser and Anna Winslet play all the roles in the show.
The musical was developed with director Bill Bankes-Jones and premiered at the ( London) Battersea Arts Centre's Octoberfest in 2005. It has since played across Britain and at festivals in Cardiff and Versailles, France.
The production tells the story of a love affair between Glyn, a thalidomide survivor (Fraser) and a non-disabled woman, Katie Crawford (Winslet), attracted by his phocomelia. Fraser calls the story a "cartoon version" of his own life. Winslet won the role in part because she did not shirk at an audition request to mimic Fraser himself. [1]
The Daily Telegraph summarized the show as "sharp and original, but not for the squeamish". [2] One Wolverhampton councillor, Malcolm Gwinnett, criticised the show, arguing that, "To exploit people in this way is, frankly, sick", while Fraser said that, "It makes Jerry Springer look tame".
Thalidomide!! A Musical | |
---|---|
Music | Mat Fraser |
Lyrics | Mat Fraser |
Book | Mat Fraser |
Premiere | 2005: Battersea Arts Centre, London, UK |
Thalidomide!! A Musical is a British musical written and composed by Mat Fraser, who was born with phocomelia as a result of the drug thalidomide being taken during his mother's pregnancy. Fraser and Anna Winslet play all the roles in the show.
The musical was developed with director Bill Bankes-Jones and premiered at the ( London) Battersea Arts Centre's Octoberfest in 2005. It has since played across Britain and at festivals in Cardiff and Versailles, France.
The production tells the story of a love affair between Glyn, a thalidomide survivor (Fraser) and a non-disabled woman, Katie Crawford (Winslet), attracted by his phocomelia. Fraser calls the story a "cartoon version" of his own life. Winslet won the role in part because she did not shirk at an audition request to mimic Fraser himself. [1]
The Daily Telegraph summarized the show as "sharp and original, but not for the squeamish". [2] One Wolverhampton councillor, Malcolm Gwinnett, criticised the show, arguing that, "To exploit people in this way is, frankly, sick", while Fraser said that, "It makes Jerry Springer look tame".