Ebb-winning musical theater composer Julia Riew and viral pop songwriter Janani K. Jha team up to write CLAIRMONT: THE MUSICAL, a new pseudo-historical comedy about Mary Shelley’s step-sister Claire Clairmont.
History forgot her story. Wikipedia remembered part of it. We made up the rest.
Two acts, 8 – 12 cast members. Scroll down for more!
About
You’ve heard of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. But have you heard about The Idiot, by Claire Clairmont: Mary’s less famous, equally aspirational, and considerably more unhinged step-sister? Probably not, because the novel has been lost to time. Until now…
One historic night at Villa Diodati in 1816, Mary became the mother of science fiction, penning Frankenstein at only 18 years old. The thing is, she never would have been there at all if Claire hadn’t dragged her and her husband Percy Shelley 800 miles across the continent to network with Claire’s crush, Lord Byron.
Claire was a girl who dreamed of stardom, with an unreasonable amount of gumption and simply no talent, so they say…but what if they lied? And who is “they,” anyway? Why was Claire’s novel really lost to time? Was it just bad—or was it actually, perhaps, the greatest piece of literature of all time that had to be buried for the lecherous and lethal secrets it exposed?
Two centuries later, we’re telling the full story. The true story. Except for the parts we made up.
This is a musical about the highs and lows of a complex sisterhood between two women who share one dream — and the relentless human desire to be seen and understood. This is the untold story of Claire Clairmont.
Julia Riew 