{"alias":"newsItem","byline":"Chris James, Head of Brand and Ambassadors  ","standfirst":"We caught up with Sam Cochrane, producer and co-writer of the musical that took London by storm in 2023. The show is now heading back out again to Birmingham, Manchester, London and Bath. Catch it for its last ever run.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003ECan you give us a quick plot summary?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor those who didn\u2019t catch it the first time around, the musical focuses on the annual Scout Games \u2013 a fictional test of skills for life, and a coveted gold badge is up for grabs.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the Scouts are busy doing their best, an intruder appears \u2013 intent on causing havoc (and turning \u2018skills for life\u2019 into \u2018troublemakers for life\u2019). Pandemonium ensues!\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EHow did people react to Scouts! The Musical?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe three-week run in London in summer 2023 was the first time we\u0027d ever performed the show. It was amazing how many Scouts came to watch. I honestly couldn\u0027t believe it and it was lovely to speak with them afterwards. It was a slice of escapism about something they care about.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s been a real honour to create this show, learn so much about the movement and the people involved and make something they can really enjoy and be proud of.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/dvsf031i/scouts-the-musical-3.jpg","width":4000,"height":2668,"altText":"The image shows three actors on stage for Scouts! The Musical. They\u0027re crouching down while singing a song, wearing Scout neckers, trousers and polo shirts. Behind them is a drum kit and guitars and the stage is dark except for red spotlights behind them. There\u0027s text on the wall behind them that says \u0027Be afraid\u0027.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EWhat surprised you?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a company, we\u2019d never had houses as busy as Scouts! The Musical. It really was amazing to have a run that just completely sold out like that, and we\u0027re hoping the same thing will happen again this time.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe reaction was very special. It\u0027s a show that really is for all ages. We had toddlers there, sitting alongside folks in their 90s, which was lovely to see! The shows that were full of Scouts and Scout Groups were just so lively. They gave so much energy from the get-go and that really makes a difference to a performance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re happy to be offering a discount to Scout Groups on this tour. We wanted to make the show affordable as is, but even more so for Scout Groups. Theatre should be accessible to everyone, and especially at a young age. It\u0027s got the potential to completely change your trajectory in life.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EWhat\u2019s different for this tour?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe\u2019re building on everything we had in the original run, but we\u0027re just giving it more space to breathe, expanding on the characters and relationships. It\u2019s now a little bit longer: 90 minutes excluding an interval (50 minutes for the first act, and 40 minutes for the second act).\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s still an actor-musician show, which a lot of people haven\u0027t seen before, and we really take it to the \u2018nth degree\u2019 with people playing as many instruments as humanly possible, sometimes two at once! It\u2019s a wonderful sort of frantic, energetic fun.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/hncaxn1p/scouts-the-musical-5.jpg","width":4000,"height":2668,"altText":"The image shows an actor on the stage of Scouts! The Musical. They are wearing a Scouts polo shirt and purple necker and pointing towards the audience. The stage is dark except for a purple spotlight behind them, lighting up the \u0027Skills for life\u0027 sign in the background. There are two other people on stage in the background playing instruments,","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EIs it the same cast?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEveryone who was in the original production was invited back because they all did such a brilliant job. But some people are off doing all sorts. Sydney, who was the lead, is now in Hamilton, so she\u0027s very busy with that. It\u0027ll be mostly the same cast, but with a couple of new faces.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003EAny new songs?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are a couple of new songs in this updated version of the show. We\u0027re writing them at the moment. Some of the characters who didn\u0027t get solos before have got them now. We really just want to make this exactly what we\u2019d always wanted it to be as it\u0027s the final run of the show.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EHow does it feel to be returning to the show?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EScouts! The Musical has been such a journey. It just feels like such a wonderful thing to be able to do again. We were very lucky to get the WhatsOnStage Award nomination last year for Best Off West End Show. It was so validating for us and all the work we put in.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe award nomination really helped us get the show into the new theatres. We were looking for venues that had similar size capacity to the Other Palace in London. The only thing I\u0027m very grateful for is that all the venues had weeks available that slotted together back to back.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","image":"/media/fgzl5jav/scouts-the-musical-2.jpg","width":4000,"height":2668,"altText":"The image shows four actors on a stage, wearing Scout polo shirts and neckers. Two of the actors are playing guitars, while the other two actors stand up on props behind them. There\u0027s a drum kit behind them and three separate signs with a fleur de lis on one, \u0027Skills for Life\u0027 on another and \u0027Be prepared\u0027 on the third.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EHow has the landscape changed since it was first performed?\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt feels like the West End landscape has changed dramatically in the past three years for new musicals. It\u0027s really exciting and it\u0027s great to be part of it. The musical was still developing during the COVID-19 pandemic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe didn\u0027t know what the show was going to look like or how we were going to do it. It turned out even better than any of us could have hoped.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re a volunteer in Scouts, contact \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022mailto:gigglemugtheatre@gmail.com\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Egigglemugtheatre@gmail.com\u003C/a\u003E for a Scout group discount code and then book your tickets here: \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://linktr.ee/ScoutsTheMusical?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0jEv2wQ4EChAL8W4QUAEkIKHDDPCFhvyneXDwmLlx41IZvHQhBP6qsvxw_aem_zTekAdXCLHffhhSMwKy7CA\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 data-anchor=\u0022?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0jEv2wQ4EChAL8W4QUAEkIKHDDPCFhvyneXDwmLlx41IZvHQhBP6qsvxw_aem_zTekAdXCLHffhhSMwKy7CA\u0022\u003Ehttps://linktr.ee/ScoutsTheMusical\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPerformances are already selling out, so make sure to book your tickets fast!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe company will also be taking their hit production A Jaffa Cake Musical to the Edinburgh Fringe this August.\u003C/p\u003E","link":null,"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Book your tickets to Scouts! The Musical now","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"12 February 2025","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Trills for Life: Review of Scouts! The Musical","url":"/news/2023/june/trills-for-life-review-of-scouts-the-musical/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Book your tickets for Scouts! The Musical","url":"https://linktr.ee/ScoutsTheMusical?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0jEv2wQ4EChAL8W4QUAEkIKHDDPCFhvyneXDwmLlx41IZvHQhBP6qsvxw_aem_zTekAdXCLHffhhSMwKy7CA","newWindow":true}],"relatedLinks":[],"id":84628,"nodeName":"Scouts! The Musical is back \u2013 and it\u2019s bigger and better than ever","title":"Scouts! The Musical is back \u2013 and it\u2019s bigger and better than ever ","type":"newsItem","image":{"url":"/media/fgzl5jav/scouts-the-musical-2.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1db7d4e9dbcaa70","caption":"Scouts! The Musical 2","type":"jpg","size":1460559,"width":4000,"height":2668,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Scouts! The Musical is back \u2013 and it\u2019s bigger and better than ever ","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"Catch Scouts! The Musical for it\u2019s last ever run. Find out about it\u0027s exciting return and how to grab tickets for your Group.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC84NDYyOCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2025/february/scouts-the-musical-is-back/"}