Its characters include Boris Johnson, Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn
An EU law expert at global outfit Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has written a musical about the hot topic of the year: Brexit.
‘Brexit — the Musical’ will debut at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. Starring big political characters including Theresa May, Boris Johnson, David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn, the play gives audiences a behind-the-scenes peek into events surrounding the referendum.
And who better to tell this tale than an EU whizz? Playwright Chris Bryant is an antitrust and competition law guru with 15 years experience advising in Brussels and London, so it’s safe to say he knows what the EU is all about. He said:
I have been advising clients on the issues surrounding Brexit for the last two years and writing songs for most of my life. It seemed obvious to put the two things together to pen a musical about Brexit. With the characters involved and the events that have occurred since last June, there’s so much fun to be had!
Working as a City law partner is hardly a relaxing, low-pressure job, and we doubt writing an original 70-minute musical isn’t all that easy either. When we asked Bryant how he managed to juggle the two, he said:
Writing the musical was something I did in my spare time, even writing song lyrics on my phone on the tube! I slotted it around other things — it wasn’t easy but it was fun.
BLP’s support must have helped the musical immeasurably; according to Bryant the firm “loves it”. Lisa Mayhew, managing partner, said:
BLP is hugely supportive of Chris and we recognise the importance of allowing people to follow their passions beyond law. He is our resident DJ at our Christmas parties, and I know that his creative talents coupled with his intimate knowledge of the complexities of EU law makes him well placed to write this musical, which we are all looking forward to seeing.
The musical extravaganza — which features 20 original songs written by University of Manchester graduate Bryant — is “set to take Edinburgh by storm”, according to promoters. And with Supreme Court justice Lady Hale recently admitting she attends Fringe every year, let’s hope the musical draws in crowds of judges, barristers, solicitors and non-lawyers alike.
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