- Hi David. You are the Director of "Stiletto". Tell us something more about this new musical

 

Stiletto is set in Venice in the mid-18th century. We're in the world of Baroque opera. The young hero of the piece, Marco, is actually a boy who was castrated as a child in order to preserve his beautiful voice. He ends up by the end of the show singing in the opera in Venice, but he is surrounded by the high society of Venice, some of whom are corrupt, some of whom are sexually no better behaved than they should be.

He's also surrounded by the working people, and he meets a young black girl who is also disadvantaged in her way.

They establish a relationship which we follow through various trials and tribulations to a satisfactory finale.

 

- Connor, who are you playing in the musical?

I play Nicolo', who is a long, well, long-term friend of Marco. They went to school together. They grew up together.

Nicolo' is a mute character, so he doesn't speak in the show at all, which has been a really fun and interesting challenge. And then we find out more about why that is.

 

- And you, Jennie?

Mine is a little bit of an interesting one: I'm officially the Mezzo Soprano.

So whenever he's doing an operatic style in the show, that's me.

There are a couple of moments when he sings in an operatic style, and there's a little switch on stage… and then it's me. I'm essentially he's double. For the rest of the time, I'm very much in the background, but then for the operatic, OK, that's me.

 

- Why should people come to see "Stiletto"?

Connor: 

Well, it's brand new. Original story, original music, and stylistically, I don't think it's like anything we have seen before.

It's like nothing else that is out of the moment. This is traditional musical theatre.

 

David:

Well, first of all, they will hear a fantastic song. I mean, it's full of the most beautiful songs and music, wonderfully orchestrated and played, and in the service of a really strong piece of theatre with the story, which is, I mean, there is a murder, there is romance, there is corruption, there is sexual license, many of the characters are involved in all kinds of relationships, so it's intriguing.

Venice was a world of wealth and poverty, corruption and intrigue, and for someone with a moral compass to steer their way through it, that's perhaps what's at the heart of our story.

 

Stiletto is at Charing Cross Theatre 24 March 2025 - 14 June 2025.