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T he inspiration behind GRUeSOMe The Musical began back in 2008 when musician Tony Mckenzie approached show writer Alan Bruce to see if he would like to work on a new concept album based on the heinous crimes of Jack The Ripper, writing lyrics, playing bass and guitar and performing the vocals. Alan says “The research period was intense. There were reams of information to go through, most amazingly the amount of alleged Ripper letters and poems sent to the press at the time, which began to shape the story and lyric content of the album. The victims and suspects all suggested storylines. I decided, following my dramatic tendencies, to include some dialogue in the intro and outro of some of the songs”. And 12 whole decades on from when the hysteria, panic and fear created in our capital city by the most notorious of serial killers began in and around London’s Berner Street, it was appropriate that the new album should have the same name. The all-encompassing joint project brought with it some very diverse musical outings style-wise for both musicians but that all added to the mix, making life interesting. Alan said, “It was one of the most in-depth and interesting projects I'd ever been involved with over the 50 years I'd been playing music.” Both Alan and Tony pushed themselves technically and imaginatively on the ‘Berner Street’ album. In Alan’s case, physically as well, having to sing again after such a long lay-off following treatment recovery from a serious illness. “I'd never worked so hard or enjoyed a project as much. We had sessions with up to ten people in the studio to record the dialogue parts - mainly my son Mark and his friends, my wife Jan of course and not forgetting my daughter Michelle who sang ‘Pure Evil’ and ‘Laughing With My Children’. The Mckenzie-Bruce album ‘Berner Street’ was completed and released worldwide in August 2008.” Hearing heard the dialogue on one particular track, a friend of Alan's asked if the album was going to be made into a rock musical. That thought sat in Alan’s subconscious for twelve or eighteen months before taking root. In the ensuing ten years, Alan developed a basic script and storyline for ‘Berner Street’ to become a rock musical and it was during this initial phase where, through a close friend and their joint connection with local theatre, Alan and Jan and Stone Little Theatre producer/director, Chris Bell, got together with a few members of the company for a read through. They simply loved it and fired by their enthusiasm, Alan and Chris planned to take the show further at some future point. For no apparent reason, a 4-year period elapsed. Alan's work on a solo album had still not made it to recording but Tony Mckenzie had planned another album, ‘Gravity Waves’ which he and Alan then worked on for another two years. Tragically, Tony was taken seriously ill with prostate cancer from which it took him two years to fully recover. The race was then on again to complete ‘Gravity Waves’. Alan wrote the lyrics, bass parts, contributed ‘Al's Blues’ to the mix as well as co- writing ‘God Particle’ which was recorded in just one take in the studio. The ‘Gravity Waves’ album was completed in late July 2016 and released on 29th August that year. Alan's contribution alongside Tony could not be underestimated. No doubt his long overdue solo album would take focus again at some future point. Around Christmas 2018, Chris Bell contacted Alan regarding ‘Berner Street’, wanting to co-produce it locally. Now renamed GRUeSOMe, an often-used phrase from Tony, Alan set to the task of developing certain aspects further. Chance Meeting A chance meeting with local actress Wendy Manns at the Stoke Repertory Theatre, led to Alan writing two new songs for the show, featuring Wendy. “It was rather a magical process; I went to bed thinking GRUeSOMe needed a light-hearted, bawdy Victorian Music Hall number and maybe also a ballad about the character's history. Queenie Manns was born in the early hours of the following morning. I awoke with a character, backstory, lyrics, and scene dialogue, filling two sides of A4 and all from that chance meeting and my overactive sub- conscious!” Wendy was overjoyed with the songs 'Where Would You Like It Miss?' and the haunting ballad 'Just One Of Those Lives'. In 2011, Alan was approached to write theatre reviews for The Sentinel Newspaper in Stoke-on- Trent. This fired another avenue of creativity with his descriptive relish for the written word. “I try to paint an enticing picture to hopefully encourage non- theatre goers to possibly try something new” he remarked. In response to his well-received theatre reviews, he was approached to become the Regional Representative for NODA, the National Operatic and Drama Association, in 2017 which he has enjoyed doing ever since. By the start of 2020 GRUeSOMe was cast and ready for rehearsals to begin, but like most other entertainment, the World COVID epidemic put a stop to everything. Three years on and with a new cast travelling in from as far away as Leicester, Macclesfield, Sale and points closer to home, an intensive rehearsal programme began and after six months, The World Premiere of GRUeSOMe took to the stage in October 2023 at Stoke Repertory Theatre. Every performance ended with standing ovations and the show received ‘rave’ reviews in the local and wider press. GRUeSOMe is utterly brand new and has never before been seen on stage. The ever-fascinating subject of the infamous reign of terror perpetrated by the first ever recognised serial killer ‘Leather Apron’ - more commonly known by his far more foreboding title of ‘Jack The Ripper’ - is what GRUeSOMe is all about. Set in the Autumn of 1888 in the district of Whitechapel in Queen Victoria’s smog-bound London. Alan comments “This is not a rehashed tried and tested favourite or contrived movie-to-stage juke box musical. I told the cast at an early rehearsal that the roles they were portraying were akin to their being the very first Frankenfurter, Elphaba or Danny Zucko. No-one had ever played these roles before. Just think about that for a moment. It is very exciting and the cast have been very much part of the creative process with their huge passion and creative ideas for their own characters back-stories inspiring me to write additional dialogue to further enhance their roles and expertise”. He continues “This is not what you may expect. It is not a festival of gore but more of a nuanced slice of history, more Hitchcock than Wes Craven. Our costumes were outstanding with an attention-to- detail that literally staggered me. Gareth Ridge’s choreography again was all brand new and not a re- working of a film dance number - pure creativity. A film has been made of the show and an original cast album recorded, a first for many of the company. Similarly with the musicians, old and new friends, all bringing their A game, adding to the visuals with a sonic sound sphere worthy of the West End, mainly thanks to Musical Director Tim Sagar.” Alan, like the whole of the production team and cast, is absolutely delighted at the response and interest in GRUeSOMe. “I have a good feeling about the show and can't wait to see it produced by all the other companies who have already registered a keen interest in the show.”

All About The New Rock Musical