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A hip-hop retelling of a medieval fable, Pied Piper is about to tour to six venues nationally, including Leeds, Scarborough and Hull in March, featuring local young people alongside a cast of seven professional beatboxers - including a winner and a top competitor of the UK Beatbox Championships – together with talented musicians.
The re-imagining follows a group of children who work at the pie factory in Hamelin, where there is both a music ban and a serious rat problem.
Told through beatboxing, live-looping, hip-hop, grime, and contemporary theatre, Pied Piper transforms the medieval tale into a high-voltage sonic experience where the enigmatic Piper shakes up a sleepy town with nothing but a microphone and his voice.
Written and composed by hip-hop theatre practitioner and Artistic Director Conrad Murray – creator of the hit stage production and BBC adaptation of Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster – this production draws on years of innovative vocal work and youth-led music theatre with the BAC Beatbox Academy.
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In each of the tour locations, Murray is going to work with local young people to form a community chorus to play the townspeople of Hamelin, who appear on stage at key moments in the story, alongside the professional cast.
Pied Piper originally premiered in 2023 at Battersea Arts Centre, winning an Offie Award for Music/Sound for Theatre for Young Audiences.
Conrad Murray said, “One of the reasons we created the show was because we wanted to show off the possibilities of the human voice, aswell as the incredible skills of young people specifically from working class backgrounds who don't usually get access to the theatre. We chose Piper because it’s a story which shows how we as humans need art, we need creativity, and we need it to be in our lives and in our schools.
“Ultimately, I want people to leave the show feeling like they’ve seen something that's so beautifully crafted and that there’s hope for the future.”
Murray is clear on his motivations for working with young people: “[It’s] their fearlessness. Young artists aren’t boxed in yet - they’re open, curious and willing to take risks. Working with them reminds me why I started making work in the first place.
“There’s something powerful about creating a space where young people feel seen, heard and trusted as artists.”
And he is similarly unambiguous about beatboxing and hip-hop theatre as tools to engage and enthuse the next generation: “These artforms are accessible. You don’t need expensive instruments or prior training - just your voice and imagination. Hip-hop theatre - in our case specifically beatboxing, rapping, spoken word - gives young people tools to tell their stories, build confidence and find community. For some, it’s a creative outlet; for others, it becomes a pathway into the arts industry.”
Pied Piper has received incredible reviews to date – and Murray thinks the show connects so strongly with audiences because of its honesty: “It doesn’t talk down to children or families, and it doesn’t shy away from darker themes. People recognise themselves in it - the humour, the injustice, the hope.”
Murray hopes children leave the show feeling inspired - believing their voice matters, both literally and metaphorically. He’s also hopeful it sparks conversations about fairness, responsibility and the importance of listening to young people.
And it's fair to say he knows what he's talking about: The theatre-maker, writer, director, rapper, beatboxer and live-looper who leads the BAC Beatbox Academy, has been developing original music-driven performance with young artists since 2008.
The artist creates bold, socially engaged work that champions working-class voices and new forms of storytelling. His acclaimed productions - including Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster - have earned praise for their innovation, energy and authenticity.
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Murray’s practice is rooted in collaboration, community, and giving young people the tools to create and perform at a professional level. He is currently working as co-composer on Deep Azure by Chadwick Boseman at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at The Globe (7 Feb – 11 Apr).
Sophie Drury-Bradey, Co-Artistic Director and CEO of ARCADE, the inspirational East Riding of Yorkshire, community-focused arts organisation which is renowned for creating high-quality, innovative projects which pair local people with professional artists, explains: “For us as producers, this is more than just touring a show, we are touring the notion that young people deserve to be centre stage. Pied Piper brings the opportunity for hundreds of young people across the country to take part in workshops preparing them to perform alongside an incredibly talented professional cast of diverse performers - an incredibly special experience that will be remembered forever.
“We hope Pied Piper sparks the idea of the possibility of a creative career for the next generation, especially in areas outside London where often opportunities are lacking.”
ARCADE, founded by Sophie Drury-Bradey and Rach Drew, joined the Arts Council England’s National Portfolio in 2023. Since its launch in 2020, ARCADE has conceived and led more than 52 projects, collaborated with more than 425 artists, created 80 new commissions and recently come to national attention with its immersive production Grue at Bradford 2025, UK City of Culture.
Yorkshire performances of Pied Piper
12–14 Mar Leeds Playhouse Playhouse Square, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7UP
£21 - £16.50 | 6pm, Fri matinee 1.30pm, Sat matinee 2pm
leedsplayhouse.org.uk | 0113 213 7700
22 & 23 Mar Scarborough Spa South Bay, Scarborough YO11 2HD
Pay What You Can | Sun 2.30pm, Mon 10.30am
24–25 Mar Hull Truck Theatre with Freedom Festival 50 Ferensway, Hull HU2 8LB
£15 (£13 children) | Tues 6pm, Weds 7pm
hulltruck.co.uk | 01482 323638
Header image: Pied Piper Tour - The Other Richard
