While Adam’s interests are diverse and varied, having composed and written lyrics for many different contexts, his continued focus is musical theatre.
Adam is working on a brand new musical and on ANGELA’S ASHES (THE MUSICAL) his collaboration with writer Paul Hurt based on Frank McCourt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, which has enjoyed much success and was filmed at the Olympia Theatre Dublin for a special streaming presentation in September 2021 with the Irish Repertory Theatre New York and via the Olympia Dublin produced in a major production by Pat Moylan. The production toured Ireland in 2017 and 2019 and opened the refurbished Ashcroft Playhouse in Croydon in 2019. Directed by Thom Southerland and starring Jacinta Whyte, the show ran to rave reviews in Limerick, McCourt’s birthplace, at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin and the Grand Opera House in Belfast as well as Croydon.
Adam also composed the musical of the BAFTA award winning documentary series EDUCATING YORKSHIRE, with a book by Paul Hurt, commissioned by British Youth Musical Theatre (BYMT) and produced in association with Twofour Broadcast Ltd. The musical was 5 star reviewed and the premiere took place in August 2022 at the Square Chapel, Halifax, directed by Ellie Jones and supported by ACE and the teacher’s union NASUWT. The show follows the ups and downs of students at a community Academy on their voyage through school life in West Yorkshire. The humour, the angst, and the warmth of teenage life in a northern community school comes to life in Adam’s new stage musical inspired by the TV series.
In 2021 Howell & Hurt’s musical based on the last nine years of the life of Marilyn Monroe entitled BLONDE was produced by the Kristian Thomas Company and streamed via DerbyLIVE to critical success with 4 star reviews: “The music and lyrics by Adam Howell are witty, sensitive and capture the highs and lows of Marilyn’s career powerfully…” BritishTheatre.com.
Adam has also penned the lyrics to a new pop song called, IF SHE ONLY KNEW, with music by Hiroaki Serizawa – one of Japan’s most prominent composers, acclaimed for his song writing for Anime cartoons.
Adam is a musical director and arranger for performers, choirs and performing academies. He is the Musical Director and Arranger for WHATSHERNAME, a play with songs by Annabelle Terry, from a story inspired by the first woman to perform publicly on the English stage in 1660, with a first showing at the Amplify Festival, Nottingham Playhouse, October 2023 and a performance at the Orange Tree Theatre in London in February 2024.
Please see Adam’s YouTube link below to watch videos of his work and hear his compositions: