Chelinot

The Union Theatre has produced a number of musicals during the last four years. While many of these have been published pieces of work they have been keen to support and develop new Musical Theatre. The first being Conor Mitchell's "Have A Nice Life" in January 2005. Sasha Regan has been searching for a new musical for over a year and after meeting Michael Cryne (whilst he was musical director for "Side by Side by Sondheim" at the Union); she decided that he had the ability and talent for composition that would bring her ambition to fruition.

The score for Chelinot is truly beautiful. An extremely mature and sophisticated piece of composition for such a young composer. The challenge for the directors Sasha Regan and Ben De Wynter will be to create a piece of theatre that is sensitive to the subject matter and yet still evokes emotion and excitement for their audience in the intimate space that is the Union.

Autumn of 1942 in Chelinot, France. In the dead of night the French authorities begin moving their country's Jewish population out of their homes and onto trains, sending them east to work camps. As the chaos unfolds the townspeople and their occupiers, once peaceful neighbours and friends, are forced into conflict. They must decide what to do: should they follow orders against their will, stay and resist or should those that can, flee? Courage and hope play their part in the choices that ultimately decide all of their futures.

A moving story accompanied by a stunning original score.