OTHERS, a new musical at the Two Brewers Clapham’s Backroom

Others is a fantasy story which follows Jamie, a kid who was born a bit different. Jamie lives with other kids like themselves in a safe house at the back of the Odds and Suds Launderette, in the town of Fairplay. They live under the protection of Gloria, a 90 year old lesbian former terrorist who was also born different. By “different”, we mean, electric fingers, say, or a few tentacles: think, superpowers, but crap.

Jamie, like the other kids, has been rejected by their family. At Odds and Suds, it’s safe, but Gloria keeps the kids hidden from view. Just in case. The town of Fairplay has always had a problem with people who are different. But, now, a new Mayor has been elected, and he is busy weaponising the media and passing laws which would effectively make it impossible for someone like Jamie to live out of hiding. What do Gloria, Jamie and the Launderette kids do? Stay hidden and safe? Or, more dangerously, confront the mayor, and the people who’ve been taken in by the lies he’s told?

Others is a joyful, angry act of defiance against those who try to demonise minority groups for personal or political gain. Its a funny, camp, gripping adventure story, which moves through vocal styles from commercial pop to Andrews Sisters to a cappella to folk, and it poses a big question: how do you respond when you or a loved one is deemed too different to be allowed a place in society? Activism? Separatism? Terrorism? Compliance? How do we resist, while keeping our integrity and our capacity for delight?