Making The Show
Secret Sides of Us was made by co-creators who attended workshops at Nottingham Playhouse for over a year. Our co-creators told their stories and created both our three heroes and the plot of the show, guided by writer and composer Scott McHurley as well as facilitators Tim Lole and Nikki Charlesworth. On this page you can find out what it was like to make the show, hear from our co-creators and see what it takes to co-create an entire musical!
Hear From Our Co-Creators
Ryan and Tami discuss the co-creation process
Ella and LDray talk about co-creating Serena
Timeline of Co-Creation
Summer 2023
We recruited participants for our group A Songbook For Us at Nottingham Playhouse. The only criteria we asked for was for our participants to identify as physically disabled.
Autumn 2023
We started our sessions. All we knew was that we were going to "write a musical". In the first term we looked at different types of musicals including rock, Golden Age, goth and soul.
Early 2024
Scott gave seminars in story, characters and concepts. Participants learned how to make compelling stories and shows using their favourite musicals as examples.
Spring 2024
The participants became co-creators. They split up into small groups and created the three main characters. Then they joined back into the full group and wrote the story.
As they wrote, they shared their own personal experiences. In the show our heroes go through similar situations to what they, themselves, have been through.
Summer 2024
Scott wrote the script and the songs. As he wrote, the participants reviewed what he'd done, offering feedback and suggesting changes.
Autumn 2024
We got funding to put on a workshop production of our show!
The co-creators also staged a sharing in front of family and friends where we sung the songs and told them about making the show.
2025
Preparing to stage the show! The co-creators have been making marketing content, helping with casting, and looking forward to rehearsals.
More About The Co-Creation Process
From Scott McHurley:
"I used a co-creation technique sometimes called "expert" co-creation, where a professional creative enters the space with participants in order to create a show which is then authored by the professional creative. This co-creative technique can risk being less democratic than other methods so throughout the process the most important thing for me was giving the co-creators a meaningful voice in making the show. All the characters and stories you'll see in the show are a product of this - there is no way I could have created this story on my own and if you were to take any of the co-creators away from the process you would have a completely different musical.
As I was writing I made sure to include the voices and opinions of the co-creators. They chose between song options, suggested edits and even completely moved a song to another point in the show - which was completely the right decision!
We've also gone beyond the core making of the content. Co-creators have sat on interview panels for the director and MD. They will also be involved in the casting of the show and I know if I have any questions regarding the show they are the first people to go to.
Our co-creators are brilliant, gifted creatives, and it can't be stressed enough how lucky I and the team have been to make the show with them!"
This project is a collaboration between The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Playhouse.