Writing and music frequently overlap in Nia's work and she has written lyrics and libretti for her own and other people's music, as well as adapting several opera libretti. Her collaboration with composer Elizabeth Winters led to a showcase performance at the Linbury Studio Theatre in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 2011. In 2013 the OUP Choir and Oxford Pro Musica gave performances of Terpsichoreana, a cantata for brass and choir by Malcolm Pearce, with lyrics by Nia. Current projects include an opera in collaboration with composer Nick Planas, based on a real murder case of the 1860s.
See below for information on Nia's musicals.
Musicals
Daddy's Girls
Words and music by Nia Williams.
Reviews and Feedback:
There is both humour and pathos in Nia Williams's clever new musical ... laughter, pensiveness and occasional bickering ... entertaining songs and dance routines ... wonderful moments ... the songs were very catchy
Nicola Lisle, The Oxford Times
Great storyline with a nice twist. Very engrossing ... Loved it
Excellent - both funny and sad
Tuneful, catchy songs with clever, amusing lyrics
The acting was superb & I liked the choreography. What fantastic singers!
Showcase Audience Survey
Sample tracks
The Thing About Her (Jane Hainsworth, Rebecca Martin, Sarah Leatherbarrow)
Daddy Told Me (Rebecca Martin)
Turning Into Mother (Jane Hainsworth, Rebecca Martin, Sarah Leatherbarrow)
Sister Dora (Jane Hainsworth, Rebecca Martin, Sarah Leatherbarrow)
Three half-sisters meet to sort their late father's effects, in the hope of winning his 'last reward'.
CD now available - click here to buy.
Showcase performance 27 November 2011 at Burton-Taylor Theatre, Oxford.
24 and 25 July 2012 Arts at the Old Fire Station, Oxford.
For details of the next production see our Facebook page
Love Online
Words and music by Nia Williams and Andy Milburn
Sample tracks
Registration (demo recording by Andy Milburn and Tanya Pratt)
Diamond Eyes (live recording at preview by Louise Herrington and Mike Hawk)
Love On The Line (live recording at preview by Louise Herrington)
Slow Burn (demo recording by Andy Milburn and Tanya Pratt)
An old-fashioned tale of boy-meets-girl, given a 21st-century, virtual twist.
Performances:
October 2009 (extracts) at the Scenic Route Cabaret, Edinburgh Cellars, Islington.
Preview showcase at Pinewood Theatre, Berks, 27th February 2010.
Preview read-through, Quince Players, Cordes Hall, Sunninghill, Berks, 3rd February 2011.
Premiere, Quince Players, Cordes Hall, Sunninghill, Berks, 8-10 and 15-17 September 2011.
Starburst Theatre Company, Samuel Cody College, Farnborough, 6-8 July 2012
Sainsbury Singers, Leighton Park Theatre, Reading, 31 October-3 November 2012
For details of the next production see our Facebook page.
For preview pack contact Andy Milburn on awmilburn@googlemail.com
Sedition
Words and music by Nia Williams.An 18th-century romp in a quiet English village where the arrival of the new cotton factory brings love across the classes, industrial sabotage and a bit of a lynching.
Workshopped at the Royal Academy of Music in February 2010.
Sample tracks
The Respect I Deserve (demo recording by Hope McNamara)
That's Me (demo recording by Hope McNamara)
Start Again (demo recording by Steve Mellin and Hope McNamara)
Greece! The Musical
Words and music by Nia Williams.Figures on an ancient Greek vase come to life to tell tales of greed, love and magic from two thousand years ago.
Work in progress; enquiries welcome.
Tales of the Greeks
Words by Nia Williams; music by John Whittaker.A children's cantata relating some of the most famous myths of Ancient Greece. Arranged for choir and orchestra. Suitable for concert or staged performance.
Performances:
23rd and 24th 2010 March at Long Lane Primary School, Reading;
22nd May 2010 at St Michael's Church, Summertown, Oxford (Oxford Youth Choir).
For information on hiring scores and seeing a DVD contact John Whittaker, mjwhittaker@googlemail.com
With her colleague Ruth Holleley, Nia founded Oxford Opera Studio, adapting opera libretti for staged 'potted operas' and workshops, with the aim of bring the genre to a wider audience. For details of past productions click here.