New, uplifting, coming of age musical 'Becoming Nancy' will soon hit the stage at Birmingham Repertory Theatre

The new, uplifting, coming of age musical, “Becoming Nancy” hits the stage at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre this October, courtesy of the master of the musical and Tony-award winning director and choreographer, Jerry Mitchell and his outstanding team.

Having read the book of “Becoming Nancy” on a flight from New York to London, before the end of the journey, Jerry had made the decision to turn it into a musical, such was its impact. He then set about assembling some of the best in the business to bring it to life.

Describing the show, Jerry Mitchell said ‘“Becoming Nancy” requires a lot of young fresh talent, and I'm so excited to introduce these incredible young performers to British audiences  alongside some spectacular West End stars.  This beautiful story about finding your true self and the spotlight each of us deserves is going to be a joy to share with audiences of all ages.”

Set in 1979, it follows the story of an exceptionally talented, but slightly confused student, David Starr, who is obsessed with pop stars of the time.  His bedroom wall is plastered with posters of Kate Bush, Blondie and Sting and he lives to sing and dance.

It is no surprise therefore that when he auditions for the school play, a production of Lionel Bart’s “Oliver!”, he is given a leading role, but it is not quite what he is expecting. David is cast in the part of Nancy! 

When the news gets out, everyone, but everyone has an opinion.  Should David take the part or refuse because it is a girl’s role and miss out on the experience of a lifetime? Enter his best friend, Frances and his co-star Maxie, to help him to make the decision. 

It’s a romp from start to finish, humorous and energetic with a catchy score by Elliot Davis, Terry Ronald and George Stiles.

The cast of the show are, of course, young, vibrant and uber talented.  I spoke to local lass, 22 year-old Shannon Bourne, born and bred in Walsall, who is in the ensemble of “Becoming Nancy”, and very much looking forward to performing closer to home, following her recent stint on a UK tour of Stranger Sings where she was travelling from venue to venue. 

A student at Aldridge School, Shannon played violin, sang and danced whilst there and she attended lessons in musical theatre and dance with her sister from the tender age of just four. 

“I grew up in a home where there was always music playing, and I always knew I wanted to go into musical theatre,” said Shannon. 

There is no doubt this prompted Shannon to head to London for musical theatre training at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where she honed her craft.

Having previously been in the audience at the Birmingham Rep, Shannon is very excited to now be stepping out onto the stage there. 

“It’s such a lovely theatre, and I feel proud to be performing there,” she said. 

“This is my second professional job,” Shannon continued, “and I feel as if I have learned so much from working with Jerry Mitchell.  He is a really warm, friendly person and lights up the room.”

“The whole creative team is amazing,” Shannon continued. “Tinovimbanashe Sibanda is our associate choreographer and Sarah Burrell is our musical director.  I have learned a lot from them too.”  

I asked how rehearsals were going.

”Really well,” said Shannon. “We are working 10am to 6pm, so long, full-on days, but it doesn’t feel like it.”  

What is the old saying? Find a job you love and you won’t work a day in your life.  

Shannon has made a host of friends in the cast.  “Because we are of a similar age, working very closely together and sometimes we have to be intimate and very close on stage, we have really bonded. It really helps if you are friends”, she said.

I asked Shannon which show she dreamt of appearing in and like a lot of young performers, her choice would be Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton.”

“I saw it for the first time in Birmingham this summer,” she said, “and it blew me away. I aspire to be a performer like Sam Oladeinde  who played Burr in the show.  I met him a couple of times and he is not only incredibly talented, but he has a lovely personality too.  That is who I would like to be like.”

Becoming Nancy is a relatively short run, so what is next for Shannon?  

“I am going into pantomime, but I can’t tell you too much because the cast has not been announced yet,” she told me. “I’m very much looking forward to that, and then who knows what the new year will bring.”

It seems there are exciting times ahead for Shannon, but in the meantime she is enjoying life with her pals in this wonderfully fun, inspiring musical.

You can catch Becoming Nancy at the Birmingham Rep from October 2-November 2. 

For tickets, visit birmingham-rep.co.uk or call 0121 236 4455.

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