The response:

I managed to argue for the largest orchestra to date at Regent’s Park and thankfully they said yes and we got seventeen. Still a tall order! I knew I couldn’t achieve this without three trumpets. I added five woodwind, strings and a heap of percussion and invisible technology (can technology be invisible - what I mean is hopefully no one would hear the use of so much tech!) and the results sounded pretty amazing. We cut all recitative, lowered keys a little while keeping a classical music theatre tone and Tim Sheader and I worked in details to make songs flow seamlessly from scene. The cast was utterly sensational - all extraordinary actors with phenomenal voices. A non naturalistic set from Katrina Lyndsey helped to abstract the production. Did we solve everything? Absolutely not, but one of my proudest contributions to a show.