Drag Addict

Born in Bury and brought up in Bolton, Matt Cain is a writer, broadcaster, and a leading commentator on LGBTQ+ issues. He’s bestselling author of novels ‘Becoming Ted’, ‘The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle’ and ‘The Madonna of Bolton’. He’s written for all the major national newspapers and between 2016 and 2018 was Editor-in-Chief of Attitude magazine. He’s a regular presenter on Virgin Radio Pride and from 2010 to 2013 was Channel 4 News Culture Editor. He’s also an ambassador for Manchester Pride and the Albert Kennedy Trust, plus a patron of LGBT+ History Month. ‘Drag Addict’ is his first musical.

David Andrew Wilson is a composer from Harrogate, North Yorkshire. He studied music and songwriting at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. After graduating, he toured the UK’s club scene as part of dance/pop band ‘Untouched’. He moved into Musical Theatre in 2011 and has been Head Of Music at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s company The Really Useful Group since 2013. Credit highlights in this role include ‘School Of Rock’ and ‘Starlight Express’ (where he first met Arlene Philips). Most recently, he was the UK Musical Supervisor for ‘Bad Cinderella’ on Broadway. He was the Associate Music Producer of the ‘Cats’ movie and worked closely with international pop sensations Taylor Swift and Jenifer Hudson as well as theatre royalty Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellen. ‘Drag Addict’ is David’s third musical as a composer and he is excited to be combining three of his favourite things - musical theatre, pop music and drag - into one fierce, uplifting and heartwarming show!

Arlene Phillips is a world-renowned choreographer and theatre director, honoured as a DBE for services to dance and charity. She is a lifelong ally of the LGBT+ community, and first came to prominence when she created the hugely popular dance group Hot Gossip. When Arlene moved from her hometown of Manchester to London in the early 1970’s, her dance classes became a go-to haven for members of the gay community at a time when their sexuality was still illegal. Everyone from dancers, lawyers, market traders, pop stars and drag artists, went to Arlene’s classes and relayed their stories. ‘Drag Addict’ became a reality when she introduced two brilliantly creative friends, David Andrew Wilson and Matt Cain, with a dream to make this happen. Included in Arlene’s extensive choreographic credits are West End musicals such as ‘Starlight Express’, ‘Grease’, ‘We Will Rock You’, and Bridge Theatre’s immersive ‘Guys and Dolls’; Hollywood films like John Huston’s ‘Annie’, Allan Carr’s ‘Can’t Stop The Music’, ‘Monty Python’s Meaning of Life’; music videos for the likes of Elton John, Queen, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross and Tina Turner. As a director, Arlene’s credits include ‘The Cher Show’ and ‘Saturday Night Fever’, and as a dance judge, for hit TV shows including ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

Jonathan trained as an actor at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and as a director at Birkbeck, University of London. Directing credits include ‘Wish You Were Dead’ (UK tour), ‘Looking Good Dead’ (UK tour), ‘The Last Five Years’ (Garrick Theatre, Off-West End Awards for Best Director and Best Production); ‘Top Hat’ (Mill at Sonning) ‘Hair’ (Hope Mill Theatre/The Vaults/UK & European Tours, WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off-West End Production); ‘A Guide for the Homesick’, ‘Rasheeda Speaking’, ‘Bash Latterday Plays’ (Trafalgar Studios); ‘Dear Brutus’ (Southwark Playhouse); ‘The View Upstairs’ (Soho Theatre); ‘Rain Man’ (Bill Kenwright/UK tour); ‘Aspects of Love’, ‘Pippin’ (Hope Mill Theatre/Southwark Playhouse); ‘Cruel Intentions’ (Palais du Variété/Bill Kenwright); ‘This House’ (Headlong/UK Tour, co-directed with Jeremy Herrin); ‘The Astonishing Times of Timothy Cratchit’ (Hope Mill Theatre); ‘Proud’ (Turbine Theatre); ‘Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella’ (Cadogan Hall); ‘Peter Pan’ (Park Theatre); ‘Four Play, Sense of an Ending’ (Theatre503); ‘The Surplus’, A’ll The Ways To Say Goodbye’ (Young Vic); ‘Made In Britain’ (Old Red Lion); ‘The Wedding Singer’, ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It’, ‘Season’s Greetings’ (ArtsEd). Associate Director credits include: ‘An American In Paris’ (Dominion Theatre); ‘The Judas Kiss’ (Brooklyn Academy of Music/Ed Mirvish Theatre, Toronto); ‘The Scottsboro Boys’ (Young Vic). Jonathan is the Director of the School of Musical Theatre at ArtsEd.