Shows
Mallory And The Mountain
Book, Music & Lyrics by Ollie Mills
•Hope Mill Theatre (2021) – Rehearsed Reading
•The Lowry Rewrites Festival (2021) – Extract
•The Lowry (2022) – Workshop
•BEAM Festival, Oxford Playhouse (2023)
•Mallory Centenary – St Wilfrid’s, Mobberley (2024)
•Storyhouse (2024) – In Concert
Based on the gripping true story of British Explorer George Mallory and his daring attempts to be the first to summit Mount Everest.
With a powerful score that combines folk-rock with cinematic soundscapes to bring Everest to life, this new musical new musical that recounts an adventurous life that begins with an ambitious young boy in Cheshire, climbing to the top of a church tower and having visions of a world beyond his wildest imagination.
The show has also received workshops at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and ArtsEd London, while songs have appeared in masterclass with Les Miserables’ composer Claude-Michel Schönberg (2022) and on The Other Palace’s Making A Musical podcast (2023).
This new musical is still in development, and actively seeking producers and partner venues to mount a premiere production.
Listen to this sizzle reel, featuring the 2024 Concert Cast; Chris Jared (Amelie), Rebecca Gilliland (Wicked), Eliza Waters (Heathers), Benjamin Karren (Les Miserables), Joseph Richardson (War Horse) and Gavin James (Les Miserables).
Realms Of Glory
Music & Lyrics By Ollie Mills \ Book by Rachel Mann & Ollie Mills
• Workshop & Rehearsed Reading (2019)
• Fringe Production (2022), a co-production from Imaginality Productions & 53two
Directed by Ollie Mills, Musical Directed by Joseph Clayton, Company Stage Manager Emily Humphrys, Lighting Design by George Miller, Co-Produced by Simon Naylor.
Starring Alex Cosgriff, Rebecca McAuley, Ben Kawalec, Ella Heywood & Amelia Simpson. Photos: Shay Rowan.
★★★★ “A testament to the great talent we have in the North West” – The Theatre Talk
It’s Christmas 1940 and the Blitz has come to Manchester. Set to a toe-tapping score inspired by the golden age of wartime music, this brand-new musical tells the story of the lively locals trying to navigate their broken world. Guaranteed to raise some smiles and prepare you for the Festive season, “Realms Of Glory” takes a heartwarming look at dealing with grief and fighting for second chances.
Listen to this sizzle reel, performed by the Manchester 2022 cast:
Bear Left
Music & Lyrics By Ollie Mills
Created By Simon Naylor & Ollie Mills
Book by Ollie Mills, with Emma Hinds, Hannah Macdonald, Steph Lacey & Mohammed Barber
• Premiere Production, Manchester, December 2023.
• Created for 53two’s Christmas Season, a co-production with Imaginality Productions.
Musical Directed by Joseph Clayton, Lighting Design by George Miller. Photos: Shay Rowan.
★★★★ “An absolute winner of a seasonal show” – Fairy Powered Productions
Set in a motorway service station on Christmas Eve, Bear Left is an anthology of interwoven, uplifting human stories. The show follows a series of weary travellers as they descend on Pinkerford Services in need of petrol, coffee…and answers to their existential crises. Christmas is most definitely on its way – but not without a few detours first.
Listen to “It’s There I See A Sunrise,” performed by Alicia Ellis, Rebecca McAuley, Rob Bowden King, Jasmine McIvor and the cast of Bear Left.
The Tree Of War
Music & Lyrics By Ollie Mills
Book & Lyrics By Rachel Mann
Produced with the generous support of Manchester City Council, to mark the centenary of the First World War.
• One-Act Preview, Manchester, September 2014.
• Full Production, Manchester, September 2015.
Cast included Alex Cosgriff (We Will Rock You), Rebecca McAuley (Rita, Sue And Bob Too) and Will Spence (Poltergeist Theatre). Photos: Paul Cosgriff.
A heartbreaking tale of love, loss and legacy, told through the eyes of an aging veteran in the 1980s as he recounts his days in the trenches of the Somme.
Listen to “Over The Top,” performed by Sam Gilliatt, Alex Cosgriff and the studio cast of The Tree Of War:
A soundtrack highlights album was released in 2020 as is available on all streaming platforms, see Spotify below:
Studio Session Photos Credit: Kelsea Knox.