Jonathan O’Neill and Isaac Savage are an award-winning, Glasgow-based musical theatre writing duo, whose work has been performed internationally as part of festivals and concerts. 

Writing credits include: Bon Appétit and Tanya (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland); The Great Elf Escape: LIVE (The Ayr Gaiety/Fearless Players); Belongings (The Minster School, Southwell) and Stay (A Play, a Pie and a Pint//Traverse Theatre). 

They have been finalists for the Stiles & Drewe Best New Song prize on three separate occasions and their most recent production, Stay, was shortlisted for the Stiles & Drewe Mentorship Award, The David MacLennan Award, and ALP & Aria Entertainment’s Chamber Musical Sessions.

Jonathan and Isaac met whilst studying musical theatre at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and received the RCS Bruce Millar Graduate Fellowship upon graduation. Both continue their work in performance and musical direction alongside their writing pursuits, through which, they aim to promote creativity, champion stories from the LGBTQI+ community and push the boundaries of what musicals can be. 

They are delighted to have been offered this fantastic writing opportunity at Cove Park and can’t wait to get started on the project.

The Musical Theatre Writing Residency is a two-week international programme for emerging and established book writers, composers, and lyricists from the UK, India, and the United States.

The residency has been devised by Andrew Panton, Artistic Director of Dundee Rep Theatre, and will include facilitated sessions with Dramaturg Jeanie O’Hare (formerly Director of New Work Development at The Public Theater), Music Supervisor James McKeon (Musical Director: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, London), Donna Lynn Hilton, Artistic Director of Goodspeed Musicals, Connecticut and David Greig, Artistic Director of Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh. Shonagh Murray joins as Associate Musical Supervisor, with Imogen Stirling, supported by Playwright Studio Scotland, joining as Associate Dramaturg.

The creatives will also benefit from networking opportunities and workshop sessions, both in-person and digital, with industry-leading writers, composers, producers, directors, and other theatre practitioners – including Tony® Award-winning director John Doyle, Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning producer Mara Isaacs, Tony® Award-winning producer Rashad V. Chambers, and more.

Presented by Cove Park and Dundee Rep Theatre in partnership with Capital Theatres, Citizens Theatre, Macrobert Arts Centre, National Centre for the Performing Arts – Mumbai, National Theatre of Scotland, Octopus Theatricals – New York City, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, and Traverse Theatre. Associate partners include A Play, A Pie and A Pint, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Playwrights’ Studio Scotland, and Tron Theatre.