This update isn't going to have a lot of detail on creative things I've done this week, but in some ways, it's been a week that has affirmed more than ever why I love being an artist. Isn't that weird that I had those thoughts in a week where I did very little creating myself?

I spent the week at the amazing Evolution recording studio in Oxford, with the Have You Met Stan team recording our cast album. I'd say my biggest contributions to the proceedings were snack duty and vibes, but I had a simply marvellous time.

I am so happy when I get to spend time hanging out with other artists and witnessing their brilliance. I really believe my job as a director is to assemble a group of people who are excellent at their roles in the creative process and then funnel those talents into a cohesive whole. An essential part of that is to create space for those people to be excellent and never has that been more apparent than this week. I lost count of how many times my jaw dropped in awe of their artistry.

I got to watch Matty sing a bunch of gorgeous harmonies to create a choir out of his own voice, showing such amazing control to cover the range. I saw how much care Lucy put into nailing the right strumming patterns and letting rip in her solo. I loved watching Jamie's generosity, playing around with different techniques and effects from growls to delicate slides to achieve just the right sound. I couldn't stay sat down when Georgia found the perfect rhythms to drive us into the final chorus of our party song, giving us the perfect beat. Bart was masterful in crafting every layer of the music, even down to the type of piano sound for the atmosphere, with such a brilliant attention to detail that nothing was missed. I couldn't even begin to guess how Nick took all of that raw talent and mixed it into the beautiful finished product.

I sound very gushing, and that's because I am. I don't hold back when I think someone, or something is amazing. These artists are amazing, and I feel very lucky that I get to work with them. If my outpouring of affection has piqued your interest, our first single is out now on all the music platforms:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6r0FVK6xYKhkdtFiTC6uJt?si=Z-sLkvf3T1K-VYQfMGoYDg

You can also hear all this music in the show in Brighton (21st - 24th May) and London (26th - 28th May):

Brighton: https://www.brightonfringe.org/events/have-you-met-stan-a-new-musical/
London: https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/31/by-bart-thiede/have-you-met-stan-a-new-musical