01403 878 026
01903 892 899
editor@aahorsham.co.uk

BARISTA: THE MUSICAL

Nigel and Anna Newman have written an original musical showing at The Capitol this September

Published on 1st September 2024

A new production of Barista the Musical, written by Worthing husband and wife Nigel and Anna Newman, will be performed at the Capitol Theatre, Horsham on 12 - 21 September. AAH spoke to the co-writers and to professional dancer Pasha Kovalev, who choreographs the musical… 

When did you first have the idea for Barista?

Nigel: We were inspired to write it in 2012 and it came about because of just one song. I was working in London and it was a time when our relationship with coffee was changing. As a commuter, stepping off the train and grabbing a cappuccino or latte become part of my daily routine. Exciting new drinks were being offered at a rapidly growing number of cafes. I wrote The Coffee Song with the lyrics “Choco Mocha Frappuccino, Single Filter without Cream-o, Double Shot Americano, or if you want the true supremo...” and so on. The idea grew from this one comedic number. 

Do you have a theatrical background?

Nigel: Writing musicals has never been our full-time occupation. I worked as a pharmacist, but have always enjoyed writing and directing musicals. It was never something we relied on to pay the bills, but we’ve invested a lot of time into this project, writing songs together and creating an original storyline.  

How did the plot evolve?

Anna: We wrote Barista during economically-challenging times, so based the story around a young man called Andy and his struggles to run an independent café while franchises pop up all around him. But the story needed a love element too and that’s why we introduced the role of Isabella. We also wanted to tell an interesting story about coffee and its heritage, so researched different coffee-producing nations. We knew that young Colombians come to England to study, which was the foundation for Isabella’s story. She gets a part-time job at Andy’s café and they fall in love as she helps him overcome his struggles. She is also haunted by her own family’s past. Nigel writes wonderfully positive songs, whereas I perhaps inject a darker reality, because if you don’t have jeopardy, there’s no hook!  

Choreographer Pasha Kovalev spent eight seasons on Strictly Come Dancing

How does the Colombian element influence the story?

Anna: When people think of Colombia, their mind typically races to violence and drug cartels. However, it’s a country we have visited and love as it’s full of wonderful, forward-thinking people. That’s the side of Colombia we portray, although there are hints of its dark past. Of course, South America is rich in culture, with an incredible musical heritage.  Isabella’s character allowed us to developed music with a Latin flavour and that is why we contacted Pasha, whose love of Latin dance is well-known because of his amazing career. We didn’t really believe anything would materialise, yet to our surprise he was intrigued by our idea and brought more to the show than we ever dreamed.

What enticed you to Barista, Pasha?

Pasha: It was the originality of the production. It wasn’t a typical musical and Nigel and Anna have created something new and exciting, with charm, Latin flavour and some exquisite song writing. We have since worked on the music together during a series of workshops, changing elements so that my choreography connects to the music and narrative. It’s an interesting story, with London coffee culture intertwined with Colombian influences. That’s where I come in, as I’ve been dedicated to Latin dance all my life. Whenever I talk about ideas for stage, I automatically have an image in my mind about how to translate them into dance and make it look great. 

You were born in Russia, so where does your passion for Latin dance stem from?

As a boy raised in the far east of Russia, the Latin world was far from home! It could be cold and dark, so when I heard Latin music, it had a fire and rhythm unlike anything I’d ever heard. I started dancing at a young age and found that Latin music, whether it’s from Brazil, Cuba or Colombia, has a wonderful energy that made me want to move. It’s not about technique so much as a feeling and freedom of expression.  

Have your experiences on Strictly Come Dancing helped when choreographing Barista?

I spent eight seasons on Strictly Come Dancing and during that time, danced with celebrities who had some experience and others with none at all. Sometimes, you have to start at the very beginning, which is a challenge! With musical theatre, you may not be working with professional dancers, but often the cast have some experience, perhaps learning ballet or tap as a child. While that doesn’t translate directly into ballroom, it helps if they have a natural ability for movement. When it comes to theatre, actors must transform into the character they’re playing, so if they need to improve their Latin dancing skills to do that, they will! They may not become the most technically perfect dancers, but through workshops, we can choreograph routines that audiences will appreciate and which elevate the performance.  

What are the stand-out numbers?

Anna: There is one scene where the audience is transported to 1980s Colombia and it features a stunning dance routine. The opening number, I Can Feel the Sun, is one of the more upbeat songs, while a video of Isabella singing La Unica Manera, sung partly in Spanish, has been very well received on social media. The song that means most to me is Proud of Me. It is sung by Andy and is about his wish to do his late grandfather proud by making the café a success. As we wrote it soon after my own father died during Covid, I feel an emotional connection to the song.  

Sara Bartos plays Isabella Sanchez in Barista - The Musical

What are your own musical influences?

Nigel: We have huge respect for legends like Andrew Lloyd Webber and Rodgers and Hammerstein, but equally have great respect for modern works by the likes of Lin-Manual Miranda. Having been a composer and musical director for 30 years, my all-time favourite is Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. Certainly, I like a good melody and you can see the influence of traditional musicals in Barista, in that we try to write catchy songs that get into your head with a story that relates to the times. In recent years, there have been lots of jukebox musicals and while they allow audiences to experience music they know and love, there are fewer original stories being told. We felt that maybe there was a gap in the market to do something different.  

Will this be the première of Barista?

Anna: The first version of the musical was performed in Bognor in 2017 and the small run of dates sold out. That proved to be the springboard and led to us working with Evelyn James Productions to create a more professional version of the musical, which is a wonderful opportunity but increases the pressure. Sarah Redman was brought in as director and with her vast West End experience raised the level of the production immediately, while Pasha has injected a new dimension to the choreography. We also held auditions for the lead roles and to hear people as talented as Sara Bartos (Isabella) and George Crawford (Andy) singing our songs for the first time was a special moment. Sara has an unbelievable voice and has Colombian heritage too, so she is even more invested in the story.  

Has the show changed much since it was originally staged?

Anna: As plans for the new production were delayed by Covid, the musical has changed a lot and anyone who came to see the show in 2017 will see a very different musical now. One lesson we have learnt as writers is that it’s important to be open in order to continually improve. The workshops are brilliant as you take the whole thing apart, throw some bits away and add new things. Professional directors will tell you what works and what doesn’t work or isn’t good enough and that’s exactly what we needed. It’s character building and you either fall apart or you toughen up! But we’re very proud of Barista and feel lucky to have the support of a production company, as thousands of people are writing plays and musicals and few receive the backing that we have. Seeing Barista come to the Capitol is a dream come true for us and we hope people will show support for a local production. 

WORDS: Ben Morris / PHOTOS: Nigel & Anna Newman

Further information:

Barista is on at the Capitol Theatre on 12 – 21 September. For tickets, call the Box Office on (01403) 750220 or visit www.thecapitolhorsham.com or visit www.baristathemusical.com