Stephen Fry has been cast as the guest narrator in the BBC World Service’s world premiere of a new radio play, U.Me: The Musical, which will also star Anoushka Lucas and Martin Sarreal.
The play, produced especially for radio and podcast performances, will also feature an ensemble cast that includes Nicole Dean, Kevin Shen, and students from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
Introducing the musical, Fry commented that “many of our story tellers were cut off from income streams during the pandemic, but leaving themselves vulnerable in every way is something they’re used to. Many have continued to create, unpaid and in isolation, documenting these extraordinary times so that we and those that come after would be able to understand this moment in a way that is truthful, universal and profound.”
The musical, which follows a young couple who fall in love over the internet and during video calls, will provide employment for numerous creative sector workers left without work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the BBC Philharmonic will work on the performance, recording their contributions remotely in order to comply with lockdown restrictions.
Last April, Fry participated in the BBC’s The Big Night In to support those affected by the global pandemic. The telethon raised over £27.3 million.
U.Me: The Musical will have its world premiere at 20:00 on 12 May 2021 on BBC World Service. It will also be made available as a podcast on BBC Sounds, with the first chapter available from 10 May.
Words by James Hanton.
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.
Image: © BBC