Dangerous

In one sentence: a murder mystery meets backstage musical, Dangerous is about how dangerous it is to seek power and empowerment as a woman.

How did it come about?

This new musical is in development with my friend and collaborator composer Peter Rutherford. The first iteration of this musical was called The 100 Year Revue and was created for the 2020 Jeanne Pratt Artist In Residence commission. It has since been completely rewritten and the new version of the book called Dangerous has been developed through an extensive practice-as-research process, forming part of my PhD. 

The story sees five celebrated suffragists (Susan B. Anthony, Inez Milholland, Edith Cowan, Sojourner Truth and Emmeline Pankhurst) performing in a Vaudeville-style variety show hosted by the controlling, power-hungry MC. In this final performance before the show closes for good, each suffragist has one last chance to change the show’s ending, to finally free themselves from the MC.

Backstage, the suffragists are brought into conversation with the New Woman: a secretly ambitious twenty-first century woman who is brought backstage by the MC to foil the suffragists’ plans. The MC promises the New Woman fame and power if she follows his advice.

The backstage world starts as an exciting and bizarre place for the New Woman but becomes increasingly dangerous as the suffragists start mysteriously getting hurt and eventually, going missing. It is up to the New Woman to solve the mystery, save the suffragists and thwart the MC to find her true power – all while keeping the onstage show going.

Dangerous is about how dangerous it is to seek power and empowerment as a woman but ultimately proposes that choosing love and community is the only way to move towards a future where this is possible.

Dangerous has a hybrid form: it combines elements of the concept musical with a book musical plot. It combines the best of Vaudeville-style entertainment with a pop-period fusion of music. Think of it as Six meets Follies with a feminist message.

Show info

Currently in development

Book and lyrics by Jayde Kirchert
Music by Peter Rutherford

Here is a track from our EP