Beyond The Fence
Beyond The Fence
Beyond the Fence marks a new dawn in the evolution of musical theatre – the first show in the world conceived and substantially crafted by computer!
Modelled on a statistical study of the 'recipe for success' in hit musicals, this unique experimental show has been created in collaboration with leading experts in music, computation and the science of human creativity, along with composer Benjamin Till and his husband, writer and actor Nathan Taylor, the award winning team behind ‘Our Gay Wedding: The Musical’ (Channel 4). Director Luke Sheppard will bring a whole range of computer-generated material to life with a talented human cast performing this emotionally powerful and exciting West End show.
Beyond the Fence is a powerful new musical about hope, defiance, unity and love. Set in September 1982, it tells the story of Mary and her daughter George who are celebrating one year of living at the Greenham Common peace camp. The group of women they have joined are all committed to stopping the arrival of US cruise missiles through non-violent protest. When Mary is faced with losing her child to the authorities, an unlikely ally is found in US Airman Jim Meadow. How can she continue to do what is best for her daughter while staying true to her ideals?
Book your tickets now and witness history in the making!
Beyond the Fence was commissioned by Sky Arts as part of ‘Computer Says Show ’, a forthcoming television series chronicling this unique experiment. The creation process has been formulated by Wingspan Productions.
- Duration
Act I: 1 hour
Interval: 20 minutes
Act II: 1 hour
Additional Details & FAQ
- Cancellation Policy
No refunds available after purchase.
- How Does It Work
You will receive a confirmation email with a voucher attached. Please print this voucher and bring it to the Box Office. We recommend you arrive a minimum of 30 minutes before the show to collect your tickets and settle into your seats.
- Suitable For Children
AGE RESTRICTION 12+
- Where Do I Go
Arts Theatre : 6-7 Great Newport Street, London, WC2H7JB
NEAREST TUBE: LEICESTER SQUARE.
Take the Cambridge Circus exit (Exit 3). The theatre is the first street on the right.
Reviews
Sharon
Mar 6, 2016
What a wonderful show. W thoroughly enjoyed it
Lucrezia
Mar 5, 2016
Really enjoyed the show very different to what I was expecting
CMace
Mar 4, 2016
A musical written by computers?! Went to the theatre just to see how bad it could be. By about the third number I was completely absorbed. Considering the set stays basically the same and there are pretty much the same 8 or 9 actors on stage throughout, there is so much variety especially in the music. Styles subtly change from number to number without you really noticing - they even get away with a 'Knees up Mother Brown'/'Pack up your Troubles' style war song in the middle with waving feather dusters and marigolds! And as for emotion, without spoiling anything, there is a point in the second act where a child gets the whole audience to break down in tears with a single word! Absolutely worth my 300 mile round trip in an evening after work to experience this.
Marilyn Williams
Mar 3, 2016
We thought it was good that the modern generation were made aware of Greenham Common but thought that the plot was rather thin, basically a love story. It didn't highlight that they achieved their goal of removing the missiles from UK. We enjoyed some of the songs, reminiscent of Lloyd Webber. Some singing and acting was good especially George. I thought it was a pity they didn't make use of some of the original songs of 80s. Musicals are a difficult medium not certain who their target audience was.
LB
Mar 2, 2016
I'm not normally a huge musical fan but this was unbelievably good! The 'computer-written' concept is intriguing, the story-line and setting are really interesting and the cast is incredibly strong. Really funny, moving and inspiring.
Alan Ereira
Mar 1, 2016
The algorithms don't make the show feel mechanical or dehumanised and the end result is better constructed than some other West End shows I have seen recently. But its triumph is performances - a triumph over a very predictable story line - especially the central child performance. Worth seeing
Chih-Chun Chen
Feb 28, 2016
An energetic and enjoyable production that was pleasurable to watch.
Wendy B
Feb 28, 2016
I was surprised that a computer could come up with such an innovative and onteresting idea for a musical. My 10 year old grandson said it was the best musical he had ever seen, including Matilda! Each character contributed something different to the context for the main storyline about an engaging but mute child, her mother among the protesters and a black U.S. Soldier. West Side Story, Romeo and Juliet ..... Warmly recommended for a different theatrical experience. The child was magical.
Marc Buelens
Feb 28, 2016
computer generated not 'phantom' yet, but so much better than many other musicals esp in the second part two magnificent scenes, at the level of 'Evita' or 'Miss Saigon' Congratulations computers
Sarah Gaunt
Feb 26, 2016
The play was simply great! The cast had great chemistry and it was thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. The girl, George, played by Hollie Owen was incredible! Thank you