'The Tombstones' The Musical - History of the Show

Back in 1991 I was working in the Registry of Coventry University. I happened to notice that between the Registry and the Student Union, about fifty yards away, the were tombstones. The site had its own graveyard (originally I guess part of Coventry Cathedral just over the road). This created a silly idea in my head – “What if a family of Zombies lived in a Crypt below the college? Would anyone notice or would they just fit in?”. And so the seed of the idea was planted.

It was an idea that kicked around my head for many years, having written Berlin and Rising Sun, both of which being serious musicals I wanted to work on something a little more fun. So in the Spring of 2010 I started turning that idea into a new musical. The idea was to have the fun and light heartedness of ‘Grease’ with a little more edge. During the early part of 2010 a youth group in Stratford-Upon-Avon had expressed an interest in trying the show out if I completed it so I did so and in the Summer of 2010 a basic concept workshop was staged by Rogues and Vagabonds. They performed a full version in the Spring of 2011 at which point I decided I would like to create ‘my’ version of the show. After persuading choreographer Louise Redmond to direct as well as stage the show we took the show to the Bluecoats Theatre in Coventry in October of 2011 with a vibrant and tremendously energetic cast. The show was received fantastically and is a great ‘fun’ show filled with instantly memorable tunes and a hint of humour.