Paul Boyd is the multi award-nominated writer and composer of 25 stage musicals that have been presented in professional productions around the world. He is also the composer of dozens of original scores and soundtracks for professional theatre productions across Ireland and the UK, the co-creator and co-director of a series of internationally acclaimed water spectaculars, the writer of various plays that have toured nationally, and a stage director who has enjoyed successful collaborations with many leading theatre producers. Check out his website here!
How did you get involved with Brain Hemingway? I worked with Erin on developing her show “Hemingway’s Wife” in London in the summer of 2015. I remember getting a great cast together to record the demo album, which also featured Adam Morris on piano! What is your history with the Edinburgh Fringe? I have visited the Fringe a few times to see friends and colleagues in shows, and back in 2012 my musical “Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory” played at Assembly Rooms, produced by the Lyric Theatre Belfast. It was thanks to the amazing reviews and response the show got in Edinburgh that it made it to London in 2014, and was eventually produced by Leicester Square Theatre for a season in 2015. What is your favorite play or musical? I have a few shows that I like a lot, but no one favourite. My theatrical tastes range from Beckett to Sondheim. What have you missed about live theater? Fortunately here in London our theatre industry has been re-opened for almost a full year. The first show I saw on the West End after re-opening was ‘Amélie’ - a wonderful actor-musician production. When the lights went up and the first notes were played I had tears in my eyes. I thought, this is what I’ve missed - witnessing sheer talent. Who is the celebrity or character who lives rent free in your head? Gonzo the Great. He’s always been the only celebrity I’ve ever thought I’d be starstruck to meet. What is your go-to coping mechanism when you are overwhelmed? Gardening. When I can’t control a work situation, or the creative process isn't moving along as quickly as I’d like, I head to the garden, because sewings seeds, growing plants, and then tending them is a great reminder that we’re just a part of nature, and nature is amazing. Combination shampoo/conditioner: yes or no? Hell no. Just how busy are you?