Andrew Corcoran

musical direction - piano/keyboards - higher education

Freelance Keys-Depper

Work as a freelancer tends to come in waves. Following a relatively frantic few days, I'm now faced with the prospect of the first five days of April with a clear diary (for now). I'm certainly looking forward to a bit of downtime!

The start of March saw the end of the Jersey Boys tour. As fully expected, the show went out in an explosion of noise thanks to the fantastic audiences at the Edinburgh Playhouse. The city made for a great backdrop as we flew through five days' worth of shows and socialising.

Less than a week later and I was playing my first show on Mary Poppins, on the notoriously tricky Keys 1 chair, in Birmingham. Hence there wasn't a huge amount of time to down tools after the previous few months on tour, but that's pretty much how I like it anyway - no standing still! The show has been great fun to play and I'm 8 performances into it now.

I've also learnt and, as of last night, played the Keys 2 chair on Mrs Henderson Presents, a show I'm yet to see from out front but from the pit (and based on audience reaction) seems to be going down a treat. Completing the set of current "M" musicals, I've also made a return to depping on Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre. It's great to be back playing on that tremendous production!

Away from the depping, I've been having meetings about prospective future projects, I've been to see Raiders of the Lost Ark with live orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall (I'm a sucker for those kind of nights) and I took my mum to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when she came down to visit my sister and I. We also both went to see aforementioned sister singing at the fab restaurant-cum-cabaret venue Circus, as she briefly returned from working in Australia before jetting off on a round-the-world honeymoon trip - lucky sod! I also made sure I had a pleasant Easter weekend back at my parents' house in Cheshire, since not many shows are going to be booking deputies around a bank holiday weekend...!

The freelancing continues as ever in April. I have a ticket to see Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard... and that's about it! Hopefully much more will have happened by the time this month is through. I'll be back with an update then.

Off-Road

I'm coming to the end of the Jersey Boys tour. Next Saturday will see the show close in style at the Edinburgh Playhouse. Following on from tours with The Glenn Miller Story & Wicked, this also marks the end of being on the road after almost 14 months straight and I look forward to bedding myself back into the capital (and my flat) once again!

I've also been fortunate to have had 17 months of near-constant work spanning four separate shows that dovetailed nicely one after another, making some great friends along the way. The unknown nature of the forthcoming enforced bout of freelancing always has an element of anxious excitement, but with a number of great productions on the horizon I'll definitely be making myself known to relevant parties.

February saw the Jersey Boys tour finish up in Northampton before moving to Wolverhampton. Neither of these towns are especially exciting, although I got to stay in the same wonderful digs in Wolverhampton that I used on a previous tour, which certainly helps. I've been staying away from London, largely because my bathroom is being refitted, but it's given me a chance to spend some time with family up in Cheshire, made better by a 10-day break on the tour before it plays its final venue, Edinburgh.

Last week was therefore a good chance to spend a few days at the Mary Poppins tour, which is currently in Manchester, seeing it both from out front and from the pit. The show is in typical "Cam Mack" sparkling form and I very much look forward to depping on the Keys 1 chair next month when the show moves to Birmingham.

Talking of next month, other than the aforementioned Jersey Boys swan song in Edinburgh and Poppins in Birmingham, that's all that is planned, which in a way is rather nice. I'm planning to check out some shows and concerts and there's a filing cabinet in Hither Green that could do with a good sorting out. Back next month with an update as a freelancer!