The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair

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The story is mainly told through music and song as opposed to spoken word, and the catchy and uplifting songs build the momentum and keep the audience laughing throughout. The musical score is superb and with direction from Musical director Lewis Bell, the lyrics tell the story in a really enchanting way. A story of new beginnings, and learning that goodbye isn’t always the end, from the bestselling author of A Boy Called Hope. The real star of this musical is Jordan Li-Smith who has created a fantastic musical here which oodles of potential. There is gorgeous music, beautiful lyrics and some real witty elements to the book. Li-Smith‘s vision and ability cements himself as one to watch for future new musicals." All Things Theatre

A brave boy with a big imagination sets out on an epic voyage of discovery, helped by a snail called Brian. --The Mirror I'm not sure what grabbed my attention first when I saw this book, perhaps it was the enchanting title or perhaps the cover that promised me a heartwarming, endearing story or the synopsis that drew me in immediately. Or perhaps it was all three. All I know was that I was beyond excited for this book and my heightened expectations were met and even exceeded. The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair was part heartbreaking, part whimsical and fully and completely breathtaking. Billy has a pet snail called Brian. Brian gets up to mischief, but Billy doesn't. I know you think that it is Billy getting up to mischief, and that Brian cannot even talk, but Brian told Billy you would say that.The real star of this musical is Jordan Li-Smith who has created a fantastic musical here which oodles of potential. There is gorgeous music, beautiful lyrics and some real witty elements to the book (helped partly from the original source material of Lara Williamson). Li-Smith‘s vision and ability cements himself as one to watch for future new musicals. I look forward to following his journey with either this musical or another (or both!). The Boy Who Sailed The Ocean In An Armchair will be staged from 14th – 19th August 2023, with venue and more details to be announced at a later date. The musical marks Jordan Li-Smith’s debut as a writer and composer. Based on the novel by Lara Williamson.

Olivia Spillane possesses an outstanding voice as Cat, delivering with both power and emotion. Her exceptional vocal ability captures the essence of a rising star. This promise of future greatness is a testament to Olivia Spillane’s skill and irrefutable presence on stage. Nic Farman’s lighting design is beautiful, offering enchanting moments on the stage. Richard Cooper’s set and use of a giant armchair is versatile and offers great potential for this to develop as the show further evolves. Music direction and orchestrations from Lewis Bell, Ben Ferguson and Alex Faulkner help this musical sound fantastic and allow the band to shine.Pearl, portrayed with profound nuance by Lily Copland-Jones, brings a layered complexity to her role. Copland-Jones’ characterisation highlights Pearl’s emotional struggles and growth, adding depth to the character’s interactions and relationships with the rest of the cast. Her exceptional voice further contributes to the emotional resonance of her character’s arc. Credit: Robert Day This is a story full of humour, heartbreak and hope and was inspired by the journey of saying lots of different goodbyes in my life. Some have been happy goodbyes with lots of laughs and 'moving forward to new horizons' goodbyes and some have been sad goodbyes that bring rivers of tears and use up boxes of tissues. It's impossible to go through life escaping saying goodbye at some point and the book is based around this.