Composer in Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company
Sarah Llewellyn was the Cameron Mackintosh Composer in Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company from 2017–2019. During the first year of the residency, she relocated to Stratford-upon-Avon for a focused period of immersion within the company and its creative processes.
During her time…
Sarah composed music for in house productions, workshops, education projects, a short film, and a newly commissioned chamber work written for RSC musicians and the Orchestra of the Swan. She worked closely with the Literary, Music and Education departments, contributing to both large-scale productions and developmental work across the organisation.
Continuing collaboration…
Her music is featured in the RSC’s 37 Plays podcast series, and in 2023 Sarah was invited as a representative of the company to Windsor Castle for a reception hosted by the King and Queen celebrating the works of Shakespeare.
Selected Work and Highlights at the RSC
An exciting and pulsating score created for RSC's commissioned play by Tom Morton
Music for RSC's 37 plays podcast
Sarah's visit to Windsor Castle with the RSC
A specially composed concert work inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses for the ‘Musical Transformations’ event. Performed with players from The Orchestra of the Swan and in house RSC musicians. It premiered in October in the beautiful Swan Theatre.
Original score contrasting jazzy transitions with deeper expansive themes. Kirsty Housley's play about the things we don’t want to see or say.
Jan 2019 a week of development on a new musical, an adaptation of William Nicholson's The Wind Singer, direction by Lotte Wakeham and musical direction Bruce O’Neil. Music by Sarah and lyrics by Teresa Howard
Endorsement
I’m delighted that Sarah is the chosen Composer in Residence. She is an exciting composer who has the experience and theatrical instinct to gain a huge amount from this residency
Bruce O’Neil, Head of Music, Royal Shakespeare Company
Music for RSC's film A Stitch in Time
Listen
Slow Transition extract from The Earthworks
Transformations - extract from concert piece - Piano & String fragments
Seduction extracts from bed scene The Earthworks
Custard experiment extracts - The Earthworks -
Fast Transition - Earthworks
Myth Big Transitions Extracts
Transformations concert piece vocal extract
Jazzy transitions extracts - Myth
Writing and Reflection
Sarah’s Blogs for the RSC
For a deeper insight into Sarah’s time as Composer in Residence, she also wrote a series of blogs for the Royal Shakespeare Company:
Sarah ready for opening night of Mischief Festival
Bruce O'Neil conducts a rehearsal of Sarah's music with players from RSC and Orchestra of the Swan
New Work Development
Coriolanus and Three Tales from Ovid
Sarah composed music and songs for staged readings presented at The Swan Theatre in October. Three Tales from Ovid, retold by Amber Hsu and directed by Alex Thorpe, offers tragicomic reinterpretations of classical myths, introducing young audiences to enduring stories of pride, unrequited love and regret.
Alongside this, Sarah collaborated with composer Mira Calix and director Angus Jackson on Coriolanus for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Retold by Amber Hsu.
R and D ‘Three Tales from Ovid’ Workshop June 2107 Photo by Sam Allard © RSC
The Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer scheme is run by Mercury Musical Developments and the Musical Theatre Network.