Album released for 1950s soul, indie-rock and pop musical Punchy!

A cast recording from new musical Punchy! has been released.

The musical, which is set to run at the Courtyard Theatre from 2 – 21 November, blends a contemporary mix of funk, soul, indie-rock and orchestral pop.

Ahead of the show’s premiere, an accompanying album is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music and all other major streaming platforms.

The album was produced by triple-platinum record producer Steve Brown (Laura Mvula; Rumer; Magic Goes Wrong), and mastered by Jon Astley, who has produced albums for Eric Clapton and Debbie Harry and mastered records for the likes of The Who and ABBA.

There will also be 300 limited-edition vinyl copies available to pre-order at the show, individually signed by the Sylvia Anderson Award-winning composer Jack Terroni.

Originally recorded live, produced, and arranged by Terroni between a studio and a converted family dining room, the soundtrack features a collective of talented musicians – dubbed the ‘Arnos Groove’ in homage to Terroni’s upbringing in Arnos Grove.

The music was made to be recreated by a live band onstage to fit the setting of the show, an Irish pub called the Jameson Arms. In this way, the album honours the principles of the golden age when musicians recorded in a live room together, 1960s Abbey Road style.

Punchy! The Musical is a raucous, affecting piece of gig-theatre following the tale of the wayward and conflicted George ‘Punchy’ Armstrong. As he attempts to overcome the crimes of his young
adulthood in post-war London, Punchy’s path to transformation is witnessed by the alarming appearance of his Ego and Soul and their struggle to influence his decisions.

Based on Richard Barrett’s thought-leading work What My Soul Told Me and drawing upon stories from Terroni’s mother’s childhood in 1950s Islington, the musical tells the tales of everyday people, and one particular ‘lost soul’: the inspiration for the character of Punchy lived in Terroni’s mother’s building.

For more information and tickets for the show, visit punchythemusical.com.

Composer Jack Terroni said: “The songs on this soundtrack bookend 16 years of my life and draw from my exploration of multiple genres. These musical experiments were either deeply blissful or left me quietly dissatisfied, until the day they inevitably wrapped themselves around a poignant story from my Mum’s childhood.

“From funk to doo-wop, indie-rock or orchestral pop, at last, I had found a home for my music! Punchy! The Musical Soundtrack is ‘what my soul told me’; these songs reached into difficult chapters of my personal life and by osmosis, merged with George ‘Punchy’ Armstrong’s attempt to find his true self. It is my wish that an audience may reach for this album as a remedy for a dark day, and know they are not alone.”