Pied Piper - (Plays for Young People) by Conrad Murray (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Winner of Best Theatre for Young Audiences Music/Sound at the Offies Awards 2023

Sometimes they eat cheese
Sometimes they eat bread
They even eat the tiny crumbs that fall under the bed
They eat jelly
They eat egg!
They eat peas
And stinky old brie....

A rat will eat anything... anything... anything.

It's the eve of the mayoral election, and the kids of Hamelin aren't happy. The mayor and owner of the local pie factory has imposed a music ban, and to make matters worse, there's a serious rat problem. But, there have been whispers of a mysterious rat catcher in town... people listen to the powerful message created by his singing... his pipes... Can this curious stranger help Hamelin to find its voice once more?

Conrad Murray's Pied Piper is a raucous musical re-imagining of a medieval fairy-tale. The original production featured a hugely talented cast of beatboxers, musicians and special guest performances from the local community.

A Battersea Arts Centre, Beatbox Academy & rODIUM co-production conceived, written and co-directed by Conrad Murray, this edition was published to coincide with the start of the UK tour at Battersea Arts Centre, London, in October 2023.

About the Author

Conrad Murray is an artist, performer, beatboxer and rapper from Mitcham, South West London. He is a qualified and experienced secondary school teacher, the artistic director of the Battersea Arts Centre's Beatbox Academy, co-artistic director of the hip hop theatre company Beats and Elements and associate artist at BAC. His shows include No Milk for the Foxes (Camden People's Theatre 2015); DenMarked (BAC 2016); Frankenstein (BAC 2018); High Rise eState of Mind (BAC/CPT 2019). He is currently musical director and composer on Crongton Knights (Pilot Theatre), director on Pied Piper: Silent City (BAC), and composer and musical director for Mrs Noah (Headlong); he is also working with the BBC on a screen adaptation of Frankenstein to be screened on BBC4 in March 2020. He was awarded the Off Westend and Total Theatre Awards for Frankenstein. Conrad is also author of Methuen Drama books Beats and Elements: A Hip Hop Theatre Trilogy and Making Hip Hop Theatre.