Garsin & Shields: IWD 2019

As many of you will know, when we’re not getting groups singing, we write musicals together.

Since 2011 we have written three musicals, all of which were performed as part of the Starling Arts Summer School, and we’re currently writing our fourth show together.

We recently wrote a post on this blog all about women who write musicals and how on the commercial stage, it’s still a man’s game with male writers outnumbering women 9:1 in British musical theatre!

Seeing as we’re women who write musicals and it’s International Women’s Day, what better day to tell you all about our latest show?

Garsin & Shields. Photo: Nick Rutter

For two years we have been searching for a plot to bring the voices of young women to the musical theatre stage. Concerned by the anxiety epidemic our generation is facing (and with our own experience of anxiety disorders), we wanted to explore some of the pressures on young women today, championing the themes of sisterhood, self-love and expectation in an accessible, engaging and moving way.

We also wanted to break down the false promises of ‘empowerment’ pedalled in much of our media, and shine a light on the sometimes conversely damaging rhetoric around womanhood that leads to heightened anxiety.

All this in mind, we’ve come up with a story that asks what we are worth, comparing the contrasting external and internal realities of what that question means.

With The Complete Guide to Being A Girl (working title) in its early stages of writing, we’re excited to develop a story that we think is long overdue!

And we have an International Women’s Day exclusive for you! We’re thrilled to launch our brand new Garsin & Shields website where you can listen to songs from our shows and learn more about this new project that puts women and girls in the spotlight.

Head on over to garsinandshields.com to find out all about our musical world and follow us on Twitter @garsinshields

Thank you for supporting women writing musical theatre; it all contributes to a Balance for Better for women in this field.

Emily & Anna