Matthew Bugg - Bringing Miss Nightingale to Life.

by Paul Szabo | 12th July 2013

Matthew Bugg is a very talented man. Not only does he sing, dance, write music, play a number of musical instruments, act and creates stunning choreography, he is also the writer and star of his debut play, Miss Nightingale, a burlesque based musical set in 1944, which brings the glitz and glamour of pre-war Berlin to war torn London.

Born in Sheffield, Matthew has been singing and dancing from the age of 4, until a shoulder injury during his dance class when he was 14 put a temporary hold on his dancing. Whilst under doctor’s orders to keep away from the dance studio, he substituted dance with music. Working his way successfully through academia, Matthew has solidly built his reputation in the theatre through dancing, acting, choreography and composing music.

Seeking a new challenge, he set about writing his own show, which is now continuing its national tour following a run in London. Miss Nightingale – The Burlesque Musical, has been well received by critics and audiences alike for its originality, humour, songs and story.

Matthew and his civil partner of almost 20 years live together in Sheffield and Matthew is particularly looking forward to bringing his show to the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre in his home town. He very kindly took time out of his busy schedule to speak to thegayuk.com about the story behind his show, his plans for the future and why he loves to watch Morecambe and Wise making breakfast.

TGUK - Matthew, you must be delighted at the positive reviews that Miss Nightingale is getting. How did the musical come about?

MB - I’ve been working as a freelance theatre composer and choreographer for 15 years now, but I’ve always worked on other people’s plays. I love doing this, and will continue to do it, but towards my late twenties I began to feel that my career was stalling. I had loads of work and loads of opportunities, but I was craving a new challenge, so it seemed like the obvious next step to concentrate on my own work as an independent artist.

TGUK - Writing the story and songs for a musical must have been a real labour of love. Can you please tell us about the journey from initial conception to full blown tour and London production? What has been the hardest part of all of it? And what has been the most rewarding?

MB - Miss Nightingale has taken 10 years to write so it’s been a very long journey. The piece has changed enormously since the original conception. In fact when I first started writing it, it was a one-man show. It had nothing to do with the Second World War and there wasn’t a show-girl in sight! I suspect my writing process is pretty unique, (though I’m not entirely sure that’s a good thing). It took a very long time to discover who the characters were that I wanted to write about, but once I’d discovered that, the story began to write itself.

The hardest part of the process had nothing to do with the art. There was a period before we did the first production where every week I was sending more letters, more emails and making more phone calls to producers and venues, desperately trying to get them to take the piece on. However the best thing that came out of all that rejection was that we decided to produce the show ourselves, which really has been the secret to our present success.

TGUK - What inspired you to write a musical based around a Burlesque performer? Was it because you felt that there is a lack of musical theatre based around the genre or was it just a natural next step from the shows held nightly in burlesque clubs around the country?

MB - When people think about Burlesque nowadays they tend to think about the post 1950’s American version of the art-form, which is pretty much just “bump ‘n’ grind”. To be honest that doesn’t particularly interest me. I’m fascinated by the much older British tradition. This dates back to 17th century and takes its name from the Italian “burla” meaning joke. Burlesque should be funny. It’s a satirical art-form that uses parody, humour and sexuality to challenge people’s pre-conceptions. It can be political, transgressive or just silly fun, but it should always make the audience laugh. It doesn’t have to involve any stripping and can be performed by both men and women, whatever age or shape. In fact my favourite burlesque performance is Morecambe and Wise preparing breakfast to the tune of “The Stripper”. It’s a sketch that belongs firmly to the burlesque tradition and it really challenges an audience’s perception of gender roles. Two straight men, who share a bed, dance around in their PJs to an iconic piece of music which celebrates female sexuality whilst making breakfast for each other. Comic genius!

TGUK - Where did your influences for the characters in Miss Nightingale come from?

MB - ‘Miss Nightingale’ is my love letter to both my grandparents and my partner’s grandparents. My partner, Toby, is Jewish and his maternal Granny was an actress in Berlin before the war. The character of ‘George’ comes from that same cabaret world. Toby’s paternal Granny was a working class English-woman who helped get Jews out of Germany, just like ‘Maggie’ in the piece. But ‘Maggie’ is actually based on my own Nana, Lily Bugg. Lily is a born show-girl, though she never did it professionally. And it’s fair to say that she did her bit for the war effort by entertaining the troops! I think she single-handedly did more to foster the special relationship between the Brits and the Yanks than anyone else. All those GIs...

TGUK - The show is full of cheeky northern humour. Was that a conscious decision or just part of you that found its way into the script?

MB - We did a small scale production of the show back in 2011 with only three actors and in that version Maggie was a cockney. One of the really big changes between that version and this is that Maggie is now a northerner. And I definitely wanted to embrace the northern sense of humour in the re-write. I grew up with comics like Morecambe and Wise, Les Dawson and Victoria Wood and I love those entertainers, who are highly-skilled, exceptionally clever and just plain daft. But I also love performers like Les Dawson and Victoria Wood who are able to transcend the expectations of audiences. If you’ve seen these two in any of their straight acting roles you will know they are both actors capable of great authenticity, sensitivity and pathos.

TGUK - A significant part of the story focuses on the (at the time) illicit gay relationship between a songwriter and a nightclub owner. Why did you feel that this was a story that needed to be told?

MB - History tells us that any freedom that is won can be lost just as quickly. Berlin in the 1920s and 1930s was a place of great liberalism, but look what happened with the subsequent rise of the Nazis. I am horrified by some of the things that are presently happening in the world, particularly in the US, Eastern Europe and in Russia and whilst I celebrate the freedoms that we presently have here in this country I think it’s crucial that we are prepared to stand up and be counted if necessary.

TGUK - Given its traditional role in the “teasing” of straight males, why do you think that burlesque appeals so much to a gay audience?

MB - Burlesque often deals with transgressive gender relationships and I think gay audiences can relate very well to that. But also female burlesque performers often take great pleasure in intimidating straight male audience members, all in the name of humour obviously. I think many gay men grow up feeling intimidated by their straight counterparts so they love seeing an empowered woman getting the better of a straight man.

TGUK - The musical numbers have been very highly praised. When writing the show, did you find that the song writing drove the story, or the story drove the song writing?

MB - It all has to come from the story. And if the story changes the song has to go, even if it’s a fantastic number. I’ve a hard-drive full of discarded songs all of which work in their own right but no longer serve the plot. It takes a lot of self-discipline to be that ruthless but it’s the only way to make good work.

TGUK - What is next for the show following its current run?

MB - The show has been a massive success both on tour and in the West End so we are looking forwards to another tour next year and hoping to do a longer West End run. We’ve also had some interest from the States which we are pursuing so watch this space...

TGUK - And what is next for you? Are you working on any other projects?

MB - I’m going to sleep and recharge my batteries. I’ve been working minimum 14 hours a day, 7 days a week for almost a year now and I need a few days off. But as soon as I’ve done that I’ll be back working on the next production of ‘Miss Nightingale’. And I also want to start work on the next piece too.

Miss Nightingale – The Burlesque Musical continues its tour and you can find out more about the show at http://missnightingale.co.uk and more about Matthew at http://www.matthewbugg.com

Matthew Bugg - Bringing Miss Nightingale to Life.

by Paul Szabo | 12th July 2013

Matthew Bugg is a very talented man. Not only does he sing, dance, write music, play a number of musical instruments, act and creates stunning choreography, he is also the writer and star of his debut play, Miss Nightingale, a burlesque based musical set in 1944, which brings the glitz and glamour of pre-war Berlin to war torn London.

Born in Sheffield, Matthew has been singing and dancing from the age of 4, until a shoulder injury during his dance class when he was 14 put a temporary hold on his dancing. Whilst under doctor’s orders to keep away from the dance studio, he substituted dance with music. Working his way successfully through academia, Matthew has solidly built his reputation in the theatre through dancing, acting, choreography and composing music.

Seeking a new challenge, he set about writing his own show, which is now continuing its national tour following a run in London. Miss Nightingale – The Burlesque Musical, has been well received by critics and audiences alike for its originality, humour, songs and story.

Matthew and his civil partner of almost 20 years live together in Sheffield and Matthew is particularly looking forward to bringing his show to the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre in his home town. He very kindly took time out of his busy schedule to speak to thegayuk.com about the story behind his show, his plans for the future and why he loves to watch Morecambe and Wise making breakfast.

TGUK - Matthew, you must be delighted at the positive reviews that Miss Nightingale is getting. How did the musical come about?

MB - I’ve been working as a freelance theatre composer and choreographer for 15 years now, but I’ve always worked on other people’s plays. I love doing this, and will continue to do it, but towards my late twenties I began to feel that my career was stalling. I had loads of work and loads of opportunities, but I was craving a new challenge, so it seemed like the obvious next step to concentrate on my own work as an independent artist.

TGUK - Writing the story and songs for a musical must have been a real labour of love. Can you please tell us about the journey from initial conception to full blown tour and London production? What has been the hardest part of all of it? And what has been the most rewarding?

MB - Miss Nightingale has taken 10 years to write so it’s been a very long journey. The piece has changed enormously since the original conception. In fact when I first started writing it, it was a one-man show. It had nothing to do with the Second World War and there wasn’t a show-girl in sight! I suspect my writing process is pretty unique, (though I’m not entirely sure that’s a good thing). It took a very long time to discover who the characters were that I wanted to write about, but once I’d discovered that, the story began to write itself.

The hardest part of the process had nothing to do with the art. There was a period before we did the first production where every week I was sending more letters, more emails and making more phone calls to producers and venues, desperately trying to get them to take the piece on. However the best thing that came out of all that rejection was that we decided to produce the show ourselves, which really has been the secret to our present success.

TGUK - What inspired you to write a musical based around a Burlesque performer? Was it because you felt that there is a lack of musical theatre based around the genre or was it just a natural next step from the shows held nightly in burlesque clubs around the country?

MB - When people think about Burlesque nowadays they tend to think about the post 1950’s American version of the art-form, which is pretty much just “bump ‘n’ grind”. To be honest that doesn’t particularly interest me. I’m fascinated by the much older British tradition. This dates back to 17th century and takes its name from the Italian “burla” meaning joke. Burlesque should be funny. It’s a satirical art-form that uses parody, humour and sexuality to challenge people’s pre-conceptions. It can be political, transgressive or just silly fun, but it should always make the audience laugh. It doesn’t have to involve any stripping and can be performed by both men and women, whatever age or shape. In fact my favourite burlesque performance is Morecambe and Wise preparing breakfast to the tune of “The Stripper”. It’s a sketch that belongs firmly to the burlesque tradition and it really challenges an audience’s perception of gender roles. Two straight men, who share a bed, dance around in their PJs to an iconic piece of music which celebrates female sexuality whilst making breakfast for each other. Comic genius!

TGUK - Where did your influences for the characters in Miss Nightingale come from?

MB - ‘Miss Nightingale’ is my love letter to both my grandparents and my partner’s grandparents. My partner, Toby, is Jewish and his maternal Granny was an actress in Berlin before the war. The character of ‘George’ comes from that same cabaret world. Toby’s paternal Granny was a working class English-woman who helped get Jews out of Germany, just like ‘Maggie’ in the piece. But ‘Maggie’ is actually based on my own Nana, Lily Bugg. Lily is a born show-girl, though she never did it professionally. And it’s fair to say that she did her bit for the war effort by entertaining the troops! I think she single-handedly did more to foster the special relationship between the Brits and the Yanks than anyone else. All those GIs...

TGUK - The show is full of cheeky northern humour. Was that a conscious decision or just part of you that found its way into the script?

MB - We did a small scale production of the show back in 2011 with only three actors and in that version Maggie was a cockney. One of the really big changes between that version and this is that Maggie is now a northerner. And I definitely wanted to embrace the northern sense of humour in the re-write. I grew up with comics like Morecambe and Wise, Les Dawson and Victoria Wood and I love those entertainers, who are highly-skilled, exceptionally clever and just plain daft. But I also love performers like Les Dawson and Victoria Wood who are able to transcend the expectations of audiences. If you’ve seen these two in any of their straight acting roles you will know they are both actors capable of great authenticity, sensitivity and pathos.

TGUK - A significant part of the story focuses on the (at the time) illicit gay relationship between a songwriter and a nightclub owner. Why did you feel that this was a story that needed to be told?

MB - History tells us that any freedom that is won can be lost just as quickly. Berlin in the 1920s and 1930s was a place of great liberalism, but look what happened with the subsequent rise of the Nazis. I am horrified by some of the things that are presently happening in the world, particularly in the US, Eastern Europe and in Russia and whilst I celebrate the freedoms that we presently have here in this country I think it’s crucial that we are prepared to stand up and be counted if necessary.

TGUK - Given its traditional role in the “teasing” of straight males, why do you think that burlesque appeals so much to a gay audience?

MB - Burlesque often deals with transgressive gender relationships and I think gay audiences can relate very well to that. But also female burlesque performers often take great pleasure in intimidating straight male audience members, all in the name of humour obviously. I think many gay men grow up feeling intimidated by their straight counterparts so they love seeing an empowered woman getting the better of a straight man.

TGUK - The musical numbers have been very highly praised. When writing the show, did you find that the song writing drove the story, or the story drove the song writing?

MB - It all has to come from the story. And if the story changes the song has to go, even if it’s a fantastic number. I’ve a hard-drive full of discarded songs all of which work in their own right but no longer serve the plot. It takes a lot of self-discipline to be that ruthless but it’s the only way to make good work.

TGUK - What is next for the show following its current run?

MB - The show has been a massive success both on tour and in the West End so we are looking forwards to another tour next year and hoping to do a longer West End run. We’ve also had some interest from the States which we are pursuing so watch this space...

TGUK - And what is next for you? Are you working on any other projects?

MB - I’m going to sleep and recharge my batteries. I’ve been working minimum 14 hours a day, 7 days a week for almost a year now and I need a few days off. But as soon as I’ve done that I’ll be back working on the next production of ‘Miss Nightingale’. And I also want to start work on the next piece too.

Miss Nightingale – The Burlesque Musical continues its tour and you can find out more about the show at http://missnightingale.co.uk and more about Matthew at http://www.matthewbugg.com