I thoroughly enjoyed it, and thought that you had been very clever with the music. You cleverly took some of my dialogue and turned it into snatches of song, with very tuneful melodies. This was exactly the kind of treatment I wanted my adaptation to have

Theatre in the Quarter
Matt is founder and artistic director of this professional musical theatre company based in Cheshire. The company creates new professional and community theatre and engages professionals from across the north west and beyond as well as hundreds of community participants in its many productions.

A Handbag Of Harmonies
Matt is the arranger and musical director of this 50-strong choir of handbag swinging divas. They have clocked up an enviable reputation and list of performance venues both in locally, nationally and internationally. In 2008 the ‘Handbags’, as they are often known, reached the final stages of BBC1′s Saturday night show Last Choir Standing and have grown in style and strength ten-fold since then.

Jigsaw Music Theatre
Matt has been Musical Director and Composer with Jigsaw for 12 years. Original musical productions include Canterbury Tales, 1001 Nights, The Crash of the Rhinos, Tne Invisible Girl, Big Nose, Going Underground, The Brutal Truth, The Princess Who Couldn’t Sing, The Man In The Balloon, The Roses of Eyam, The Selfish Giant, Millennium Bugs, Unsinkable, The Village Cross and Lord of the Flies.

Chester Mystery Plays
Matt was both composer and musical director for the highly acclaimed Mystery Plays 2003 and 2008. Directed by Robin Goddard. Both productions included a large community company of up to 400, of all ages, and including live musicians and drummers. The 2008 cycle was performed in concert version for Capital of Culture ’08 Celebrations in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.

LIPA
Matt has worked as a sessional tutor, mainly as composer and musical director with diploma, degree and post-graduate acting and music students at the Liverpool Institute Of Performing Arts. He has also been arranger and director for the the large Actors’ Choir. Compositions for LIPA pieces include The Happy Prince, Titanic The Experience and Nicholas Nickleby.

Other Musical Directing credits include work with:

• Stagecoach, National Showcase
• International Schools Theatre Association
• Encore International Ensemble Theatre Workshop
• Cheshire County Youth Theatre
• Action Transport Theatre Company

The performances were by no means ‘churchy’ and became increasingly raucous, which is why they almost disappeared for 200 years until their present day revival in the 1950s. They are now performed in Chester every five years and we are fortunate that the 2008 performances coincided with Capital of Culture Year.

In Chester, the cycle is performed over two evenings. The performance in the Cathedral was an abridged version of both parts and was colourful, at different times highly amusing and highly moving, and all set to the most marvellous music by Matt Baker. Congratulations to all the performers and production team – and if you missed it, you’ll have to wait until 2013 for the next production in Chester.

Cathedral Capital of Culture News, November 2008

Silent Night, a musical play by Theatre in the Quarter, in the Forum Theatre on Tuesday, told the story of the Christmas truce in the trenches during the Second World War.

Not an obvious festive winner, you would think, but you would be wrong. Heart-warming was the word for this miniscule, magnificent production, which tapped into the bravery, poignancy and, yes, stubborn humour of war, and sent us out uplifted.

Somehow, on a pocket handkerchief stage, four actors gave us the story of the war, even from its origins, the shooting of Archduke Ferdinand. It was a retrospective commemoration of the ninetieth anniversary of the ending of the great conflict – from a unique viewpoint.

For here were the Blakeleys, two brothers, sister and sister’s fiance, viewing the distant war from cosy Chester, speculating during tea by the River Dee. And here were the Cheshires, the regiment the men joined, one of them just a boy, hankering after adventure.

Off they went to ‘have a pop at the Hun’ and we were with them as the hollow ‘adventure’ took them into terrible suffering in the trenches, as the brave sister swapped Chester infirmary for a field hospital in Serbia.

This was innovative theatre at its best, with talented professional actors backed by a local amateur choir, with minimum props and atmospheric lighting., Through dialogue, narration and song, the deadly story of the Somme was told.

It moved to a climax of the Christmas truce, when Fritz and Tommy briefly stopped being enemies, briefly found a common humanity, even friendship, in a meeting, and a game of football in no man’s land.

It was cleverly and sensitively handled. A rendering of Silent Night brought a lump to the throat. Auld Lang Syne warmed us (in a rather cold theatre!).

The impressive aspect of this production is that it’s an original work. Playwright Helen Newall has produced a well-researched, fine piece of writing. Composer and musical director Matt Baker has woven in original and traditional songs to great effect.

The cast, Elizabeth Bassham, Paul Dabek, Thomas Latham and Jay McWinon, the choir, and the director, Russ Tunney, have done it full justice.

Silent Night is also in the great tradition of community theatre, for there is a schedule of performances in schools and village halls, all sold out. We will all have enjoyed a thought-provoking theatrical treat.

Peggy Woodcock – Chester Chronicle, December 2008

Cabaret Entertainer
Matt’s work as a cabaret entertainer has included such venues as ‘The Octopus’ Cabaret Night, Liverpool, ‘Contact Theatre’ Manchester, ‘Alexander’s Jazz Theatre’, Chester and a wealth of weddings, private and corporate functions and other venues up and down the country. Matt has often performed alongside other artistes. His repertoire is broad and eclectic, taking in standard jazz classics, show tunes, 60′s – 90′s classics (pop and ballad), light classical, old time favourites, original work, comedy songs and more.

Christmas in the Trenches
Matt is resident entertainer and Master of Ceremonies at this popular regular event at the well known Albion Inn, Chester. People travel form far afield to enjoy songs from the First World War. Veterans who actually fought in the Great War are often present.

Hollywood Showbar
Matt was the resident piano cabaret entertainer at this popular venue in Manchester’s Canal Street Quarter. He has also performed at many high profile events in Manchester in venues such as the Manchester Town Hall, Palace Hotel and The Lavender Ball.