Students hit the high notes for award-winning musical duo Stiles & Drewe

Drama students have taken a unique opportunity to showcase their talents and ‘audition’ for award-winning musical theatre duo, Stiles and Drewe.

Ten undergraduates from the University of Exeter were invited to perform a number from one of Stiles and Drewe’s musicals – or select one of their own creations – and have it expertly critiqued by the pair.

And the students stepped up to deliver rousing renditions of hits including Feed the Birds from Mary Poppins; We’re Taking over the Hall from The Wind in the Willows; and Every Tear a Mother Cries, and Different, from Honk!.

The performances were one of the highlights of a special musical industry-themed day, which saw Exeter alumni Stiles and Drewe, along with award-winning theatre producer Nick Allott OBE, host sessions with students in the Department of Communications, Drama and Film, including a musical theatre masterclass, and an evening conversation and networking event.

All three special guests were also treated to a tour of the Northcott Theatre, which was a poignant experience for Stiles and Drewe as it marked their return to the theatre which helped to launch their careers 30 years ago.

“The University of Exeter, along with the Northcott Theatre, was where my creative musical and dramatic life truly began,” said George Stiles. “So, it was a fantastic full circle moment to be able to return and see both institutions flourishing and buzzing with new creative life as well as meeting some of the talented and diverse young artists who are studying at the Drama department. Exeter always felt like a very creative city when we were starting out and it’s encouraging to see that creativity continues to thrive.”

Composer Stiles and lyricist Drewe both graduated from Exeter in 1983 – the former from the BA Music degree, and the latter from a BSc in Zoology. They quickly began to work together, and their first show, Tutankhamun, played at the Northcott soon after.

Over the course of their award-winning career, their acclaimed shows such as Mary Poppins have attracted audiences in the millions – Honk! alone has been seen by more than six million people in over 8,000 productions in 20 languages – and their recent West End productions include Half A Sixpence and The Wind in the Willows.

“As a student arriving at Exeter in 1980, I think the building that I frequented the most was the Northcott Theatre, which probably didn’t impress my lecturers in the Department of Biological Sciences!” added Anthony Drewe. “To return to the Northcott, over 40 years later, my feelings were both of nostalgia and gratitude. If it hadn’t been for the theatre, standing as it does in the middle of campus, I think my life and career would have gone in a very different direction. Meeting the new ‘curators’ of the Northcott, as well as staff and students in the University drama department was inspiring and reassuring – to think that both institutions are in such safe hands – hopefully nurturing the writing, acting, and producing stars of the next generation.”

Among the students who performed for them was second year Combined Honours with Drama and Management undergraduate Jasmine Aspin.

“It was an amazing and nurturing experience,” she said. “As someone who wants to branch out into the creative industries, to hear their story and to hear of the emotions behind everything they have done and all the pieces of music they have created was inspirational. And it’s really cool they came here as well!”

Another was Dan Hill, an Exeter drama graduate (2022) and currently a PhD candidate. He said: “It was great hearing from two really important members of the British musical theatre community. I had a brief chat with them during the break of the workshop, discussing their most recent show Becoming Nancy, and earlier production Soho Cinders, in light of the PhD research I am doing around queer musical theatre in Britain since 2017. I’m now hopeful that I can have further conversations with them that will assist my research in the Department.”

Nick Allott OBE is an alumnus of the BA (Hons) Economic History and Economics degree, and since leaving the University, he has enjoyed a distinguished career in theatre production. He spent 40 years working for Cameron Mackintosh and was Executive Producer on the original London productions of Cats, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton and many others.

Currently Director of the Roundhouse Trust and the Soho Theatre, Nick hosted an open discussion with students, covering relevant industry topics including the role of a producer; how to start in the industry; how to find and work with creative personnel; and budgeting and raising money. He then joined Stiles and Drewe on-stage for the final discussion of the day.

“I left the University to work at the Northcott in 1973,” he said. “It was my first job in the theatre and laid the foundations for a long and happy career. Visiting again 50 years later was a moving experience that brought back many happy memories. Spending time with the Drama department and their engaged and ambitious students was very rewarding and I left confident that the future of the performing arts sector is safe in the hands of the next generation.”

The event is aligned to the University’s strategic commitment to showcase, celebrate and nurture the creative industries in the region.

“We are enormously grateful to Stiles and Drewe and to Nick Allott, for making time in their schedules to come and share with our students some incredibly valuable insights into their art, craft and working practice, as well as their experiences in the industry,” said Professor Jane Milling, Head of Department. “And for those students who performed for them, the personal feedback and appraisal they received will be something that remains with them for life.

“The great benefit of having such engaged alumni is what their contribution brings back to our academic community, inspiring our students and offering a unparallelled insight into the contemporary creative industries sector. Our deepest thanks go to all three for making this such a stimulating and rewarding day.”