The Confession Room is a British musical comedy written by Dan Looney, Patrick Wilde, Reece Looney and Sam Champness.
Production History
The Confession Room was released as a Concept Album Recording in May 2013 on the SimG Records label starring Anna-Jane Casey, Dean Chisnall, Alex Gaumond, Ross Hunter, Matthew Rowland, Devon-Elise Johnson, Joshua Lovell and more. The album also featured a twelve-piece orchestra and an ensemble of thirty singers. The album was musically directed by the show's Musical Supervisor Tim Evans, directed by Paul Foster and orchestrated by Florian Cooper. In July 2014, the show played a sell-out concert at the St. James Theatre, London starring Jon Robyns, Rebecca Trehearn, Stuart Matthew Price and many of the concept album original cast. The concert also included the same creative team as the album with Tim Evans as Musical Director, Paul Foster as Director and Florian Cooper as Orchestrator. The concert was produced by Robin Rayner. The show has also played the Landor Theatre as part of the "From Page to Stage" 2013 season whilst the song "Excalibur93" was awarded third place at the "Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Award 2013".
Plot
"The Confession Room" is the name of support group in the heart of New York where people come to get things off of their chest, however embarrassing or silly. These "confessions" range from a guy who admits to having a slightly "different" ex-girlfriend; to a girl who is tired of being treated as just a "ditsy" blonde. The story centres around the groups counsellor, Caroline and a mysterious newcomer to the group, Oliver who has the desire to wreak havoc among the group and to finish the room for good.
Characters
Caroline : The group's 'happy-go-lucky' counsellor who has run the group for three years.
Oliver : The mysterious newcomer to the group, eager to cause unrest.
Bradley : The long-term member turned counsellor's assistant with a shocking secret that he kept hidden for many years.
Tony : Another long-term member who stays silent and watches from afar.
Shane : An attention-seeking, egotistical individual who is a pathological liar.
Grace : Shy, timid and has a job making cakes but has a huge crush on one of her clients.
Frank : A man with a long list of problems and ailments that he compiles every week, but he has one simple dream - to be a hero.
Tiffany : A stereotypical blonde, the eye-candy of the group but she is convinced that she can be more than her appearance dictates.
Matt : A newer member to the group who has an embarrassing secret about his ex-girlfriend.
Paul : A thirty-something man who still lives and cares for his mum, but is she taking advantage of his good nature?
Sarah : Frustrated with her life, career and relationship status, she uses sexual innuendo to try and assert dominance over the men of the group.
Annie : Flits between all the members of the group, never really fitting in but never the outsider.
Musical Numbers
Act 1:
"Overture" - Orchestra
"Confession Room part 1" - Oliver, Tiffany, Paul, Sarah, Bradley and Company
The Confession Room received positive reviews for both album and concert. The Public Reviews described it as "a surprisingly feel good musical", Broadway World called the show an "extraordinary piece of original writing" and West End Frame wrote that the show was "outrageously funny".
