A new musical written by Micha Mirto and Louis Barabbas based on an obscure fairy tale popularised by The Bedlam Six.
The Tale-Tale Hound is a two act musical about a father and daughter, the last two players in a once successful traveling theatre troupe with only one show left in their repertoire: The Tell-Tale Hound – a cautionary story about an immortal beast stalking a man for eternity. They perform the piece from the roof of their crumbling narrow boat to dwindling audiences on the tow paths of Britain’s canal network. It’s the only story Father wants to tell and the one story his daughter Mel is desperate to get away from.
Cracks appear when Katrin (thirties, PHD in folklore and a burning desire to know everything) arrives, desperate to understand the inner workings of their lives. She exposes Mel to the modern city, encouraging her to spend more and more time off the boat and away from her father. They strike up a sisterly relationship but Katrin asks questions that expose holes in Mel’s once idyllic lifestyle – examining everything her father has built and everything he stands for. Through Katrin we explore whether it’s possible to capture and tame something you love without destroying it.
Set in a world of magical realism the audience are never quite sure what the narrator is running from. Why can’t he leave the boat? Is he telling his own story or someone else’s? What is the hound? Mel starts to wonder what really became of her mother and why has she spent her whole life traveling along Britain’s waterways, leaving no trace or trail… or scent?
Watch a playlist of studio and lyric videos here:
Read the production pitch here.
