Creative Team.

Undermined: The Fatberg Musical! is currently being written. 
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Created by Tilly Lunken and Kate Sketchley.
Book and lyrics by Tilly Lunken - Music by Michael Clulow.
Developed with Kate Sketchley and Victorine Pontillon. 

Londonberg 2432, a city divided. Londonberg Above, a sealed microcity, and Londonberg Below, the harsh reality of a mining community living entirely underground. Both are dependent on each other and dependent on the fatberg - a ginormous and dangerous deposit of fat that is harvested for energy. The show tells the story of two unlikely friends who uncover hidden dangers of the fatberg and challenge the foundations of their society. Undermined is a comedy/horror Sci Fi musical that explores our relationship with waste, and our collective and personal responsibility for our environment.

Demo Track - opening song.

Science & Industry R&D.

Research and Development for the show is underpinned by real life research including:

  • Fatberg! Exhibition at the Museum of London
  • Cross Ness Open House Tour
  • Thames Water Sewerage Treatment Plant
  • Cranfield University laboratory visit.
  • Crick Institute visit. 
  • Thames Water Hackney Depot Tour and site visit. 
  • Institute of Civil Engineers Fatberg exhibition. 

This is part of our team's commitment to have a strong scientific, accurate foundation for the work but also it has impacted greatly on our world building and the creative development of the piece. The key scientists we are working with are Dr Justin Pachebat (University of Aberystwyth) & Dr Raffaella Villa (De Montfort University).

Creative R&D.

The creative R&D for Undermined was initially structured through residencies with Space Clarence Mews. This included a 2019 year long residency that culminated in a small invited sharing that tested opening of the show in January, 2020. 

Through 2020 we have mostly been working online. Again Michael and Tilly did some virtual residencies through Space Clarence Mews that structured our work through peer supported workshops. As for everyone COVID-19 has been super disruptive, but we have knuckled down as a writing team.

From January 2021 Undermined had a semester residency as part of the University of Winchester Musical Theatre Project where we workshopped with a class of students our opening scenes and songs. This was brilliant for redrafting, consolidating and refining. Working with eleven people singing ensemble numbers = priceless and we also got lots of wonderful world, character development too.