The Dream Dealer Musical
Book and lyrics: Marita Phillips
Music: Harriet Petherick Bushman
The Dream Dealer Musical - Synopsis
What starts as an ordinary school playground with ordinary teenage tensions, gangs and cliques, takes a sinister turn when two strangers arrive at the school. One is a new girl, with good in her; the other a charismatic street salesman with only bad.
Finn is a dreamer and the school geek. Apart from his pet mouse, Hercules, his life is lonely. Then Delphi arrives and the two instantly become friends.
However, their friendship takes a difficult turn and their integrity is then tested by the arrival of the other stranger at the school gates, the Dream Dealer. Although it might seem he's only selling ice-creams, the schools coolest gang soon finds that this Pied Piper is selling something far more sinister.
Biography – Harriet Petherick Bushman
Harriet Bushman is an award-winning graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London and also a Premier Prix of the Conservatoire de Lausanne, Switzerland. She has toured as a solo pianist and chamber musician and has scored documentary music for BBC and Channel 4 Television in Britain.
As a composer, Harriet has explored many genres, most of which include the human voice. Main works include two quasi-operas, a CD of Gospel pop, a film of Art Songs, 5 musicals for children, including The Dream Dealer and Buzz - the Story of Glorybee and two books of Christmas carols. Her most recent work has been composition of music for Shakespeare plays, particularly Richard III, performed to considerable acclaim at the Ovo Festival, July 2024.
Although composition is a priority, Harriet continues to perform a rich variety of the chamber music repertoire, participating in the Dante Festival pairing with Krysia Osostowicz, leader of the celebrated Brodsky Quartet, Soprano Stephanie Hershaw and acclaimed Russian Bass Sasha Vassiliev, as well as German violinist, Manuel Druminski, now leading the Mozarteum orchestra in Salzburg. A recent BBC TV appearance with celebrity chef Rick Stein featured her Five Cornish Songs.
Bring The Dream Dealer Musical to Your Stage
The Dream Dealer is designed to be an accessible and affordable production for schools and theatres. It requires minimal sets and props, and most costumes can be created from everyday children’s clothes.
The cast is highly flexible — the playground groups can expand or contract to suit the number of performers, with a total cast size ranging frm 11 to 60. Three principal character roles may also be performed by older students or adults if desired. A full Audio CD backing track is available on request.