Elliot Davis (Musical Director) is active as a composer, musical director, writer and broadcaster.
Writer
The summer of 2009 saw the premier of Loserville a new musical which Elliot co-wrote with James Bourne (writer and band member of Busted 10 UK No 1 credits). This was a commission for YMT UK and has now been optioned by a major London producer and is scheduled to open in the West End in 2010.
His musical Best Friends and Butterflies has just been optioned by the film company Magic Dust Media and Elliot’s script is now a finalist for the British Film Council development fund.
In March 2009 Elliot wrote a series of 21 stories for children for CBBC called Sugar Plum Storytime. This was a high profile BBC commission to interweave original short stories with classical music to get young children interested in classical music.
In October 2008 Elliot won the TMA (Theatre Managers Association) Award for Outstanding Musical Production for co-writing Once Upon A Time At The Adelphi a specially commissioned piece for Liverpool Playhouse in their City Of Culture Year. This received rave reviews and an extension to the run. The piece was also nominated for a What’s On Stage Award. Adelphi will be seen in London in 2010.
In the summer of 2008 Elliot conducted the BBC Big Band in concert playing his own musical Best Friends and Butterflies which was a special concert marking the Olympic Handover from Beijing to London.
Elliot’s piece Best Friends and Butterflies won him the TicketMaster Composing Award and Best Musical For Young People. The piece has been showcased by the Royal Academy in London and this year will be shown by Trinity College of Music.
Musical Director
In November 2009 Elliot re-opened Derby Live (the old Derby Playhouse) with his arrangements of The Pro’s The Con’s and The Screw. As well as musical director and arranger he also played the part of William Boyland – an nerdy accountant sent to prison for embezzlement. This was his professional stage debut.
Musically, Elliot started his career working with the great Lionel Bart for whom he transcribed musical ideas. Since then he has worked in a musical capacity of Miss Saigin, Les Miserables, Blood Brothers. He re-arranged Stephen Schwartz’s production of Pippin at the Bridewell Theatre, Pageant (Kings Head and Vaudeville), MD for the European Premier of Lucky Stiff, Orpheus, The Demon Headmaster, Berkoff’s The Secret Love Life Of Ophelia. Elliot is currently musical supervisor for the West End production of Naked Boys Singing.
Composer
As a composer Elliot is signed to Warner Chappells. He won the Ticket Master composing Award for his musical Best Friends and Butterflies as well as best Musical fro Young People. Elliot also wrote the score for Stephen Berkoff’s The Secret Love Life of Ophelia was toured internationally after its London launch. Other scores include Cyclops which ran at the Scoop for a full season. He has written the score for a new musical Watermark, performed at the Crucible Theatre Sheffield, and Waterfront Hall, Belfast.
Radio
In another career strand Elliot is a prolific music documentary maker for the BBC. He has interviewed, written and produced documentaries about some of the world’s biggest music artists including, Neil Diamond, Freddie Mercury’s 60th Commemoration, Barry Manilow, Liza Minnelli, the Bee Gees, James Last and Lionel Bart.
Elliot has just finished a contract as the London Theatre Critic on Smooth Radio (102.2) where he broadcast every Friday and Saturday with the latest news and reviews from the London Theatre Scene.
