Summoning Sondheim is a cabaret comedy séance that uses the power of musical theatre to summon us theatre kids’ Lord & Savior, Stephen Joshua Sondheim (the Joshua is important).
Musical theatre bitches and real life witches, Grace O'Keefe (co-creator of five-star EdFringe sell-out Bad Teacher) and Jordana Belaiche (West End Credits: Little Cosette in Les Misérables, Jane in Mary Poppins, yes, really) host this silly little spooky séance. Their goal? To summon Sondheim’s spirit in order to write the perfect musical.
This campy love letter to Sondheim is a testament to his legacy as both one of the world’s greatest artists and as a mentor to so many writers, exploring what it means to make art (afterall, art isn’t easy!), the lack of a female musical theatre cannon and how we “Summon Sondheim” everytime we’re in a theatre.
Age Guidance: 15+
PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS WORK:
"Both performance and direction are perfectly executed, and you couldn’t ask any more from a performer." ★★★★★ from North West End
With a piece as riotously funny as Queen of Cups’s play, the laughter is guaranteed." ★★★★ from The Reviews Hub
“Grace O’Keefe directed this piece perfectly, she used everything she possibly could to turn a small stage into a full-scale production” ★★★★★ from Theatre Scotland
★★★★★ from Lost in Theatreland
★★★★ from London Pub Theatre
★★★★★ from the Interrobang
Cast & Creative Team:
Creator, Deviser, Performer: GRACE O’KEEFE Grace O’Keefe is a director, writer, performer and producer. Grace developed, directed and produced the five-star one woman EdFringe show, Bad Teacher, which had sold out runs at Underbelly in 2022 and 2023, VAULTs 23, and was picked as part of the Pleasance London’s Best of Edinburgh season. She is an associate director at Lobster Frock, a feminist theatre company, and served as director and creative producer for their Arts Council England funded Blueprints Museum. Other directing credits include Sunsets at the Seven Dials Playhouse, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), and award winning short film, The Voyeur. Grace is deeply and truly a musical theatre nerd, and she has a BFA in Musical Theatre to prove it. In her former life in the US, she was named “an actress to watch” by the Baltimore Independent Theatre Review. Grace frequently performs her musical comedy act, which includes bangers such as “Girls Don’t Poop” and “Uranus is in Retrograde”.
Creator, Deviser, Performer: JORDANA BELAICHE
Jordana Belaiche is a British-Algerian writer, dramaturg and performer based in London. Jordana trained at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Jordana has been writing for stage since 2017, when their first play Knowledge is Power received the Best New Writing award at London Student Drama Festival and a run at the Edinburgh Fringe in the same year. Recent work includes get it off yer chest (Newmarket International One Act Play Festival) Little Lord Fondleroy (BGWMC, The Space, King’s Head Theatre), developed as part of Soho Theatre’s Drag and Cabaret Lab, Vine Press (Golden Goose Theatre/Thalia Arts), Abigail’s Adventures in Boston (Theatre Deli), Common as Muck (Ivy House, Bonker’s Bar) 2.4 Degrees! The Musical (The Poly, Falmouth), W*nkers (Theatre Deli, Bonker’s Bar), Blue Eyed Hag (Almeida). Jordana regularly performs with musical theatre improv troupe, Adlibretto, and is a member of Interlude choir.
About the Artist:
The Queens of Cups are a feminist London based theatre company that uses humour and levity while challenging audiences. Their previous show, the OffFest nominated Bad Teacher, sold out EdFringe 22 at Underbelly, VAULTs 23, EdFringe 23 at Underbelly, and was part of the Pleasance’s Best of Edinburgh season. The company also runs New Moon Monologues, a night of new writing, comedy, music and drag.