About
Handful Of Keys
Theatre created with Music at the Forefront
Established in 2012, Handful of Keys was originally formed as a production house for a Musical Revue concert series , performing at prestigious venues around the country including The Leicester Square Theatre in the West End. Since then as well as continuing concert style performance we have been developing new Theatre Writing and working on original cabaret concepts.
Our aim is to produce innovative and creative theatre performance with music at its heart. We're keen to develop new work and re-visit older and unknown works with new ideas in mind.
MATTHEW J LOUGHRAN - PRODUCER & COMPOSER
Matthew is a Musical Director, composer, pianist and arranger working in London and around the UK. Matthew has worked for leading production houses since graduating in 2007 from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, and alongside his work as a conductor and musical director, has been developing works as a composer from incidental music in touring plays to works for pantomime and full scale musical productions.
Matthew is currently musical director for Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed production of 'Phantom of the Opera'. Previous work as Musical Director includes: Miss Saigon (UK & International tour), Les Miserables (Associate Conductor West End), Evita (UK & International tour), The Commitments (UK tour), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (UK & International Tour) Ain't Misbehavin' & The Concert They Never Gave (UK tours), Edges & Rent (London). As Associate Musical Director: Sister Act (UK Tour), Jekyll & Hyde (UK Tour), Whistle Down The Wind (UK & International Tour), Cabaret (UK Tour). As a pianist and/or rehearsal MD: Les Miserables, Top Hat & Singin' In The Rain (London's West End), Dancing In The Streets (London), Scrooge (UK Tour) & Doctor Doolitle (UK Tour). Matthew has also worked as Musical Supervisor and Arranger on P&O World Cruises, working with the theatre companies on the ships Aurora and Oriana.
As an arranger and orchestrator his work includes: Help The Hero's (West End), Love Beyond (Wembley Arena), Jekyll & Hyde (UK Tour), Evita (UK Tour), Dreamboats & Petticoats (West End & UK Tours), Rock n Roll Heaven (UK Tour), Annie (Hong Kong & Singapore).
As a composer works include the incidental music for the play 'Cissie & Ada' (UK Tour), various pantomimes across the UK, co-composer for workshops of 'Golden Balls' in london. Matthew is currently working on a new musical VALI with Laura, a musical based on the life of famed Hungarian star Vali Racz.
LAURA CORRADI LOUGHRAN - ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & LYRICIST
Laura trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, graduating in 2007 with a first class Honours degree. Laura entered the industry as a performer and has since, alongside acting, developed her other passion of writing and producing new work. In 2019 she graduated from Liverpool's John Moores University with a Distinction in the MA Musical Theatre course, where she was awarded The Lynda La Plant Prize Fund for Outstanding Practice, and a GoGlobal Scholarship to carryout research in Budapest and Krakow for the musical VALI.
Writing credits initiated in poetry works, having poems printed in several anthologies. After finding a passion for Lyric writing during composition assignments whilst training, she has since written Lyrics for a rendition of Cinderella and several cabaret style pieces. She is currently Co-Writing the new musical VALI with Matthew. Most recently her piece "New Year Me' was performed as part of SLAMinutes Goes Mental, at Vault Festival London, and is subsequently being produced as part of an online Mental Health campaign later this year.
Previous performance credits include: ‘Dry Rot’ (UK Tour), 'Danny The Champion of the World' (Brewery Arts Centre), ‘A Handful of Songs’ (Leicester Square Theatre West End), 'Side By Side By Sondheim' (Bristol Hippodrome), 'Photo Me' (Riverside Studios), Aesop’s Fables Retold (Windsor Globe), 'Ain't Misbehavin' (UK Tour and Cast Album), ‘Home’ (Theatro Technis Theatre), and workshopping 'The Flint Street Nativity Play' with Tim Firth (Liverpool Playhouse)
As a vocalist Laura has performed in a variety of events across the UK. Credits include: 2013 Olivier Awards supporting Will Young (Royal Opera House, ITV and BBC Radio 2), HRH The Prince of Wales Investing in Young Futures Charity Gala Dinner (The Savoy Hotel), Cardiff Singer of the World Commercial (BBC 1 & BBC 2 Wales), ‘Moonriver’ recording (BBC Radio) and LIPA’s 10th Anniversary Gala (Liverpool’s Royal Philharmonic Hall).
Laura is also passionate in providing opportunities for parents in performance and is developing a show to accommodate rehearsals around the needs of performers with young children, to be trialled in the South West.
