Lydia Shaw (Hatched!)

Hatched! is the innovative audio musical which first made a splash on TikTok last summer, written by writer and performer Lydia Shaw. Recorded by a team of West End stars, the newly released album features twenty empowering and life-affirming songs which have been taken from the nine-part audio series.

Hatched! is a story which aims to empower women and give them the confidence and inspiration to go and make a change. We spoke to Lydia to tell us more.

Q) Hello. Before we begin, please can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background in theatre?

Hi I’m Lydia, I’m a writer and performer, and I’ve been working in the industry for the last 10 years. As a writer, I wrote book and lyrics for new musical Arthur’s Quest which was nominated for 6 awards and sold out at Edinburgh Fringe, and my TV pilot The Back Row was recently shortlisted for the UKTV Female Pilot Club. As a performer, I’ve performed in the West End and across the UK doing musicals, plays, concerts, pantos, actor muso shows - all sorts!

Q) You are the writer of Hatched! which is a new musical - can you tell us a little bit about the story?

Hatched! is set on a mythical island where all the characters are birds, and the female birds aren’t allowed to fly. Having just laid their eggs, Fallon and her friends realise they don’t want the next generation to grow up as stuck as they are, so they set out to make the island a fairer place for their chicks. But they’re racing against time as they try to bring down the infamous Lord Zandajay and change the rules before their eggs hatch.

Q) Hatched! was originally written and recorded during the pandemic as an audio musical - was there something in particular that inspired you during this time?

I think what that time really inspired was forging this new genre. Theatre, and particularly musicals, are so powerful - they can offer a world to escape into, they can uplift and bring people together, they can empower and inspire. So knowing that, we started exploring how we could create something that people could experience from anywhere in the world, something that could really help people during that time and raise their spirits - and the solution we found was fusing all different types of audio formats (audio book, audio drama and musical theatre) and creating it as an audio musical.

Q) Being presented as an audio musical is an innovative way of bringing new musicals to new audiences – how do you think this has resonated with audiences in an era in which social media is at the forefront?

It has been incredible to see on social media the journey of musical theatre fans discovering the show, listening, sharing it, and getting just as passionate about it as we are! Theatre’s really expensive these days, so particularly for our younger audiences to be able to come across the show and immediately access the whole thing from their phone for free is really exciting. And there’s also the connection around it - tagging friends, making their own videos using the sounds, connecting with us, bringing people together. And in the end that’s what we wanted - the show was made for musical theatre fans and now they’re as much a part of the show’s journey as us.

Q) As well as writing the musical, you also starred in the show. How did you find the process of bringing your character to life through the medium of audio recording and did you find this easier or more challenging than being an actor on stage?

We didn’t have any rehearsal time, so it was about making sure you’d done the prep and were coming to it with things to offer on the day - but that character was in me. I think after years on a project, writing from their point of view, they have to be living in some part of your body somewhere! I don’t know if I found it easier or harder than acting on stage, but it’s definitely different - being able to put across all that emotion in your voice, everything you’d use your body or face to do suddenly has to be through your characterisation and vocal expression. Having mostly worked in live theatre, the concept of being able to do retakes or try different things on different takes was very interesting too.

Q) Do you have any plans to bring Hatched! to the stage, or are you happy with it being maintained as an audio musical?

I’ve re-written the show for the stage and am currently looking for a producer to help develop and produce it. In the meantime, there are still thousands of theatre fans to reach with the audio version. So far we’ve had listeners in 56 countries, which is really exciting, and I know there are so many more people who could benefit from hearing the show. And now that the album is out too, it’s great that people can dip their toe into the songs first and then go on to explore the full show.

Q) Do you have a standout song from the show, and does it have any personal significance for you?

Hard one, but I think Invisible. It’s the song we had in the final of the Stiles and Drewe Prize last year, and lots of people have told me it’s their favourite too and I think that’s because it comes from such an authentic place and speaks to something so many people (myself included) have felt: the frustration and hopelessness of being ignored or dismissed, but also the strength, drive, and power you can access when you remember you’re fighting for a better world for everyone who comes after you.

Q) What are you hoping audiences take away from Hatched?

I hope it can spark conversations about female equality with people of all ages and genders. I hope women and girls have the hooks of these songs going round in their heads like little mantras of self confidence and self worth. And I hope everyone who listens feels inspired and excited to go and make the world around them a little bit better, kinder and fairer.

Album Link