"Soar is what we can. Fall is when we doubt. Hope is what we breathe. Dark is when we're blind. Rhyme is what it doesn't have to do - unless we want it to..."

'It's Only Life' - A New Musical Revue.

Music & Lyrics by John Bucchino. Conceived by Daisy Prince & John Bucchino.

Featuring: Luke Bayer (There's Something About Jamie, RENT, Diva: Live from Hell), Lizzie Buckingham (Magical Merlin, Antigone), Andrew Ewart (The Pantomime Life of Joseph Grimaldi, Thursford Christmas Spectacular), Gillian Hardie (42 Balloons, Mamma Mia!, Kinky Boots) & Stephen Weller (Les Miserables, Martin Guerre).

&Piano closes our 2025 Festival with our Musical Theatre event, and this year we're presenting a whole show! 'It's Only Life' is a musical revue - a collection of songs woven together into a show, by the American composer John Bucchino, for five singers and piano - carefully put together by John and director Daisy Prince to explore the common journeys, trials and tribulations that we all experience in life - love, heartbreak, longing, loss. The songs at times even delve into more philosophical aspects of life: our fears and worries as we get older, and what life is all about - all told through incredibly beautiful, powerful songs, and cleverly crafted lyrics.

John is celebrated in the musical theatre and pop world for his amazing songwriting. His songs have been recorded by stars like Liza Minelli, Patti LuPone, Kristen Chenoweth & Billy Porter to name just a few, and he's had shows performed off-broadway and on broadway. If you're a fan of Jason Robert Brown, then you'll really love John Bucchino.

Featuring a cast of five incredibly talented professional musical theatre singers from all across the North of England, accompanied by Christopher Pulleyn on piano, &Piano presents 'It's Only Life' in a concert performance - a modern-day musical theatre song cycle - to celebrate and raise the profile of an incredible songwriter who more people should know about!

'Stephen Sondheim meets Songs for A New World'

This concert performance of It's Only Life is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd.