"When writing a new show we normally work together on the story line. Although I write the book for the musicals, we are both very much on the same page when it comes to what happens as a narrative thrust throughout the show.
I suppose that about 75% of the time I write a lyric first, or a bit of a lyric first, then give it to George. What we like doing best is when a song grows organically, where I give him a title or maybe a verse or a chorus and then sets it to music. Then he comes back to me and says “Now I would really like the music to go off in this direction“ then he will write the tune for the next section and I will write the words to it. We are usually in the same building at the same time when that happens."
"I am a terrible fusser once I have got the basic thing and I am forever being told “Leave it alone, it was terribly good when you first came up with it” . That is to some extent true, you can worry a thing to death.
Re-writes are the biggest problem of all really because you are trying to find that freshness and so initial ideas are very important.
I don't doodle. I tend to get a lyric and immediately go away from the piano. We try to get away to write – away from the distractions and the phone. I tend to pace around the garden with it and find the rhythmic centre of the piece; I think that is the most important thing for me, finding what the meter is. Then deciding do I want to work with against the meter in places or with it. There is never a rule, and as soon as there is you are in trouble, because you are becoming predictable."
"I am very fussy about my use of language. I don't like to use the same rhyme twice in the same song, or even in the same show. I always start with the idea of the song from a dramatical point of view. Then I home in on a title. Then decide where I want the title to fall, if I want the title to be repeated often.
I always write on a huge sheet of A2 paper. Which I like to put all my little ideas and couplets, gags or whatever the essence of the song is, all around the edge of this piece of paper. Then I will finally start putting couplets and quadrilles together into some sort of form, and give it a structure. Then I will give it to George."
In 2007 George Stiles and Anthony Drewe were asked to judge the Highland Quest a competition to find a musical from the Highlands.
As part of their role they offered Musical Theatre Writing Workshops to the new writing teams and mentored the final contestents.
organically, where I give him a title or maybe a verse or a chorus and then sets it to music. Then he comes back to me and says “Now I would really like the music to go off in this direction“ then he will write the tune for the next section and I will write the words to it. We are usually in the same building at the same time when that happens."
I always write on a huge sheet of A2 paper. Which I like to put all my little ideas and couplets, gags or whatever the essence of the song is, all around the edge of this piece of paper. Then I will finally start putting couplets and quadrilles together into some sort of form, and give it a structure. Then I will give it to George."
