The day before I was set to see the musical New Blood, I came across the company outside a café as they were going through their scripts – serendipity indeed – we had a brief chat and their openness and obvious commitment to their show cemented my interest in seeing it. A packed town hall venue greeted me, and I was immediately immersed in this original show written and devised by the company of five, playing multiple roles. The themes of small town living and all its community trials and tribulations as dreamers, developers, and other unwanted suburbanites descend upon their heavenly haven, really packs a punch. In a series of narrative tuneful solos, duets, trios, and other dynamically harmonized songs, the five performers deliver performances truly grounded in reality, a meaningful set of relationships, personal and collective dilemmas that challenge our perspectives, something rarely done in musicals these days. They only play two performances, sadly, but as the standing ovations will confirm, this is a show that will develop and continue to grow, so bravo to all! Congratulations Joel Cooper, Melia Naughton, Anouska Gammon, Mikey Bryant, and Elodie Crow, you deserve all the success that will surely come your way.