Listen to The Dance of Death from Vice.

Listen to Money Money Money from Vice.

In the midst of all their joys they shall sigh blood…

Vice is a daring new musical based on a sardonic Jacobean tale of sex, intrigue and revenge by acclaimed writing duo – Jools Scott (composer) and Sue Curtis (librettist).
 
It tells the story of Vindice, come to court in disguise in order to avenge the murder of his beloved. His destruction of the ruling family plunges the palace into mayhem, and eventually costs him his own immortal soul..
 
A wild pace and macabre humour drive the irresistible surge of the music, lyrical, passionate and chilling by turns, which captures all the power and wit of the The Revenger’s Tregedy and translates it into a vibrant jazz-fuelled new idiom for a modern audience.
 
The first chamber production of the whole musical took place as part of the Arcola Theatre’s Grimeborn Festival in August 2010, directed by Andrew Steggall and designed by Jess Curtis, followed by an industry showcase at the Soho Theatre.
 
‘a highly entertaining work of great subtlety and contemporary resonance ..extraordinary musical and lyrical skill..’
Douglas M Lanier, ‘Nimble in Damnation, Quick in Tune”‘, Oxford Handbook to Middleton, pub O.U.P. April 2012.

The Dance of Death, from Vice, has become an inspirational piece in it’s own right as a video on YouTube and is about to be featured in an animated short by Will Amber-Shaw.

For any enquiries about Vice please contact Rachel Daniels, Berlin Associates, 7 Tyers Gate, London SE1 3HX.

‘The Door’ by Andrew Steggall
Music by Jools Scott

The Door is based on “The Door of the Wall” by H.G. Wells. Our adaptation tells the story of Thomas Arlington, a man of incredible wealth and power. He is the chairman of a bank, has his suits made by the greatest tailors and he has a yacht (on which he has recently entertained the Chancellor of the Exchequer). But he also has a memory that haunts him. It is the childhood memory of a green door in a wall in West London that led to an enchanted garden. It is the garden of his imagination and of his childhood. Now, in his sixties, Thomas Arlington want’s to go back.

The Door (trailer) from Andrew Steggall on Vimeo.

Cast: Charles Dance, Harriet Walter, Dudley Sutton, Elliot Cowan, Tobias Menzies.

Creatives: Andrew Steggall (writer and director) Brian Fawcett (cinematographer) Sarah Bacon (production designer) Jools Scott (composer) Charlie Harvey (editor) Ashley Cowan, Daisy Lewis and S+O Media (producers).

Collaborators: Air Studios, The Whitehouse, UsS Productions, Splice. The film was shot on the Arri Alexa care of our partners S+O Media.

‘Off Beat’ by Will Becher

An animated adventure involving biscuits, a TV and no police whatsoever.

Featuring the voice of Michael Buerk, as the newsreader, Off Beat was Aardman Animations’ first HD short, made in 2006. This was Jools’ second venture into writing music for film and the soundtrack was self-recorded and self-produced.

Demon Lover, a chamber opera based on the short story by Elizabeth Bowen, is a haunting tale of love and betrayal.

Phoebe returns to her London house to collect a few remaining possessions after the area has been devastated in the blitz. Alone in her bare and desolate home she is drawn back to the First World War and her encounter with a young soldier called Max. But is it just a memory that haunts her now? Or is it something more sinister?

First presented as a work in progress at the Arcola Theatre as part of Grimeborn 2011, directed by Andrew Steggall and designed by Sarah Bacon, with Hannah Pedley as Phoebe and Tom Bullard as Max.

Demon Lover is the second opera composed by Jools Scott in collaboration with Sue Curtis as librettist. Inspired by Britten with overtones of Gershwin, it marked a return to Jools’ classical roots.

Photographs by Paul Curtis

Demon Lover was performed with the kind permission of ITV.

For any enquiries about Demon Lover please contact Rachel Daniels, Berlin Associates, 7 Tyers Gate, London SE1 3HX.

‘Sparrow’ by Andrew Steggall
Music composed & performed
by Jools Scott and Beth Porter

In his council flat in the East end of London, the widowed Harold conducts a life of quiet ritual and lonely comfort. One lunchtime, the routines of his solitude are interrupted by an auspicious arrival. This intrusion shatters the ceremony of his midday meal, but will Harold come to realise that it is not an omen of chaos but of order, and that it has arrived neither too soon nor too late?

Goose is a warm, funny, quirky and original musical play for children around the ages of 5-9.

Ideal for Christmas shows or all year round entertainment, Goose is a traditional fairy tale about the third son of a poor widow, a bad-tempered Princess, a King who has forbidden anyone to feel sad, and a magic sticky-feathered goose with several hundred desperate suitors and a few ogres and singing trees thrown in.

Enchanting songs and witty and imaginative writing make this a treat for parents and children alike.

For any enquiries about Goose please contact Rachel Daniels, Berlin Associates, 7 Tyers Gate, London SE1 3HX.

Lyrics by Sue Curtis and Jools Scott
Music by Jools Scott

Cast of Demo:
Narrator, Grey Man: Jon Monie
Princess, Mother: Peta Dennis
Herald, Dimmest: Matthew Meddings
Dim, Lady in Waiting: Martin Williams
Dimmer,Lady in Waiting: Nik Howden
Piano: Jools Scott

Last Friday, we took off to Air Studios in North London to put the soundtrack of ‘The Door’ down to picture. I was accompanied by Andrew Steggall (the brilliant mastermind behind the film) and Sue Curtis (my long time musical collaborator); we drank coffee, ate croissants and then I directed the most time critical and exciting, session of my life.

The instruments were fantastic, the players – simply divine, and all the tiny vibrations were recorded by the most expensive, top-end equipment (think Neve & Neumann). These three factors helped capture the most sublime rendition of my work, to date. A truly mind-blowing experience.

Jools Scott – Piano, Glockenspiel, Vocals.
Beth Porter – Cello, Vocals.
Graeme Smith – Vocals.
Tim Petherick – Guitar, Vocals.
Pete Gibbs – Double Bass, Vocals.
Nick Malcolm – Trumpet, Vocals.

Arrangements by Jools Scott & Beth Porter
Engineered by Tim Petherick
Produced by Tim Petherick, Jools Scott & Beth Porter

‘Fireside Carols’ is the brainchild of composers/performers Jools Scott and Beth Porter. Developed from a lifetime’s experience of celebrating the festive season with joyful music, the album was put together in November 2009 as the nights grew darker and the days shorter. This musical meeting was a short but sweet project, as satisfying to accomplish as it is to listen to; we hope you enjoy the ride.

The Golden Eggs
October 2010

“Mark Haddon‘s The Sea of Tranquility is magically illustrated by Christian Birmingham and now gently read by Anthony Head, accompanied by the music of the spheres. It is the best, most peaceful and inspiring bedtime story of the year.” The Independent, 2009

music by jools scott

I have written soundtracks for audio books by many best selling authors, including Alexander McCall Smith, Ngaio Marsh, Eric Carle, Rob Scotton, Emma Chichester-Clark and Dr. Seuss.

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