Our Day with Claude-Michel Schonberg

Suzanna Kempner, James Meunier, Steven Edis, Teresa Howard and Claude-Michel Schonberg

Claude-Michel Schonberg

It isn't often you get the chance to spend the day with a superstar, a creative superstar who is taking the time and trouble to actually listen to your work and give you his pure golden nuggets of wisdom. On the 8th of June Steve Edis and I, along with seven other MMD writing teams got the chance to do this with Claude-Michel Schonberg, best known for writing the book and music of Miss Saigon and Les Miserables with book and lyricist Alain Boublil.

This was truly one of my best MMD moments so far, and I will never forget it!

We chose two scenes with songs from our Pre-Raphaelite musical Possessed and they were beautifully performed by Suzanna Kempner and James Meunier, who we have known since our first workshop at the RAM.  Above is a photo of us, rapt, listening to the master's every word.

It wasn't just the chance to listen to Claude-Michel talking about our work, it was also riveting listening to him talk about the work of the other writing teams: Adam Ford and Kitty McDonald; Craig Adams and Andrew Doyle; Alex Loveless; Rebecca Applin & Susanna Pearse; Scott Gilmour & Claire McKenzie; Mel Lawman & Matt Finch; Catherine Macdonald & Adam Ford; Jake Bringer & Pippa Cleary, many of whom are dear writing friends and colleagues. It was a particularly intimate day, our work was exposed, Claude-Michel was inspiring, with razor sharp insight, and we all felt very close by the end of the day.

Below is a picture of Victoria Saxton, the new Executive Director of MMD, who helped to make the day possible.

Victoria Saxton, Chief Executive of MMD 

Teresa Howard, Chaude-Michel Schonberg & Suzanna Kempner