How to Write Your Own Musical
Musicals have been captivating audiences for decades. From classics such as Les Misérables to modern productions like Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) and family favourites such as Shrek The Musical, there is something for everyone. If you’ve been inspired by a trip to the theatre and want to have a go at writing your own musical, here are a few useful tips.
Find Your Story
One of the main things that the best West End musicals have in common is a compelling story. But before you start typing, you’ll need to think about your target audience. Are you writing for children or adults? Your audience will make a huge difference to the language you use and the songs you write. You must also choose a genre. Do you want to produce a comical musical or something much more serious and gritty? Whatever the case, you need to nail the basics and then start to flesh out your idea.
Keep in mind that the plot of a musical is told through songs. So you need really strong themes that can be brought to life through song. You also need memorable, distinctive characters as well as some secondary characters and an ensemble.
Flesh Out Your Characters
The best West End plays and musicals have strong characters. You can take inspiration for these from your own life, historic plays or even other productions. But make sure your characters have unique qualities. You should also think about typical character types. Here are some examples you might want to include in your own work.
The Hero - often the protagonist of a story, the hero strives to help someone, solve a problem or do good in the world. They have admirable character traits and typically embark on some sort of quest or adventure. Examples include Shrek, Dorothy in Wizard of Oz and Rusty the steam train from Starlight Express.
The Lover - many musicals feature a love story. Your musical could document family love, unrequited love, tales of friendship, marital stories or other kinds of love.
The Antagonist - as the chief enemy of the hero, antagonists add drama and intrigue to any production. They add depth to stories, keep people interested and are typically defeated by the hero who happily soaks up all the glory. Shrek’s Lord Farquaad is a good example or there’s the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz.
The Sidekick - this character is usually best friends with the hero and doesn’t leave their side. They can add humour to the production and tend to help the sidekick accomplish their mission. Donkey from Shrek is the perfect example.
Write the Songs
You’re writing a musical. So, of course, songs are one of the most important parts of the writing process. To keep your production interesting you need to play around with tempos, have catchy tunes that repeat throughout the show, and perfectly balance dialogue with singing. Types of songs included in a musical include:
The Opening Number - this is typically loud and upbeat
The ‘I want’ song - this lays out the dreams and wishes of the protagonist
The love ballad - this helps to explain complex relationships between characters
The villain’s song - the antagonist shines here in a song that’s usually emotive and dramatic
The showstopper - this is a big, highly choreographed song that will showcast the size and talent of the whole cast
The finale - this should be a powerful and emotionally charged song or a fun and uplifting number depending on your story.
From the best mystery plays to the most popular musicals, the story is everything. So take your time when writing your script and songs.
