ABOUT THE
MARATHON PROJECT
In 1904, the Olympic Marathon was a shambles. A lawless chaos with all to play for, an ever-receding finish line, and everyone desperately just putting one foot in front of the other.
In 2020, the Olympic Marathon never happened. But the rest is pretty much bang on.
The Marathon Project is a new musical choose-your-own adventure, which dives into the surreal chaos of then and now. Grab a number, join the race, and try to stay on track when everything around you stops making sense.
ON YOUR MARKS
Welcome to a new musical collaboration between exciting artists from all over the UK, working across genres, styles and copious amounts of Zoom workshops to create a playable, entirely online adventure.
GET SET
Taking the Marathon of 1904 as inspiration, it will channel the passions, fears and fantasies of then and now to create fierce, hilarious and brilliant new music
GO
It’s not just about cheering from the sidelines. We want you to join us on the track - collaborating, remixing, creating music. We’re in this together. Grab a number and join the race.
A MUSICAL CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN ADVENTURE
THE RUNNERS
(So far...)
The Marathon Project is being spearheaded by some of the most exciting musical theatre makers in the UK, determined to use this frankly baffling time to make new, exciting ways of collaboration possible.
IN LANE 1 WE HAVE...
SPITLIP
AVERAGE TIME: 4.5 HOURS
SECRET TO SUCCESS: RUPAUL
BASED IN: LONDON
SpitLip (with spit) is an award-winning musical theatre collaboration between three members of critically acclaimed comedy troupe Kill the Beast - Zoe Roberts, David Cumming and Natasha Hodgson - and glam-punk musician and band leader Felix Hagan.
IN LANE 2 WE HAVE...
SHEEP SOUP
AVERAGE TIME: 4 HOURS
SECRET TO SUCCESS: PEPSI
BASED IN: NOTTINGHAM
SHEEP SOUP is a theatre company formed to create high quality productions featuring creative talent from Nottingham and beyond. Graduating from the BAFTA-winning Television Workshop, SHEEP SOUP brings together a diverse community of actors, writers, directors and designers to produce vibrant new work for the stage, including their unique brand of musical theatre with a naturalistic drive.
IN LANE 3 WE HAVE...
THE LETTER ROOM
IN LANE 4 WE HAVE...
BURNT LEMON
AVERAGE TIME: 3.80 HOURS
SECRET TO SUCCESS: SHEARER
BASED IN: NEWCASTLE
The Letter Room is a theatre company of Actor-Musicians from Newcastle. We are committed to creating fearless, boundary breaking musical theatre, one that captures the energy of a night out and the intimacy of live performance. Featuring Special Guests: Oseloka Obi, Kaz Costello and Jeremy Bradfield.
BASED IN: NEWCASTLE
With ambition burning in abundance, Burnt Lemon Theatre are a multi-award winning, female led company who give rise to innovative new work. From riotous gig-theatre to electrifying musicals, we tackle sensitive stories with tenderness, punch and precision.
AVERAGE TIME: 1 DAY
SECRET TO SUCCESS: LIMES
BASED IN: HITCHIN
IN LANE 5 WE HAVE...
AVERAGE TIME: 2 MINUTES 30 SECONDS
SECRET TO SUCCESS: MIC DROPS
BASED IN: LONDON
Artists from the BAC’s BEATBOX COLLECTIVE
Co-creators of and performers in smash hit beatbox musical Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster, listed in The Observer’s Top 10 Shows of 2018, currently halfway through a two-year world tour, with a TV version currently in post-production for the BBC.
AND MORE...!
MAIMUNA MEMON
COULD THIS BE YOU?
Together they’re working with talented musicians, writers, DJs and artists from across the UK to forge new connections, collaborations and a community of musical storytellers that can work together no matter where they are.
READY TO SIGN UP?
Interested in being part of this, as a collaborator, as a listener, as a supporter, as maybe all of the above?
Do you love theatre, music, storytelling, digital games, and want to help build something beautiful, surreal and triumphant from this appalling year?
SIGN UP AND JOIN US!
This story of surreal carnage, of utter mayhem, and of never, ever giving up feels important; maybe now more than ever. We want to write something about it. And we hope you will join us on the track.
SERIOUSLY THOUGH? HOW BAD WAS IT
St Louis, USA, 1904. Where do we even start? Rat poison, illegal doping, forbidden water, hallucinations, stolen fruits, cheating, thieving, lying and collapsing. And that’s before we get to the packs of wild dogs.
A race that was rigged from the start by the people in charge. A baffling set of challenges that no-one could hope to conquer. A set of people who could only hold onto one fact - that if they kept running together, they’d make it to the end.
Intrigued? Feel free to learn more.