list of work

2023/ongoing…

  • Mary & The Matrons, Documental Theatre, Musical Director and Additional Music & Arrangements – This new musical, currently in development, was workshopped in through 2023 with a performances at the Exeter Northcott in October. The show features an integrated cast of actors with and without Learning Disabilities. Guy Musical Directed the R&D process and workshop performances and provided additional music with creative arrangements for the show going forward.

  • The Moon and Darker Tales, Oxford People’s Theatre, Composer, Lyricist and Musical Director – This show is being co-created with the Oxford community cast through 2023 for performance in 2024. Guy is co-composing music and lyrics alongside the company to be performed live and with backing tracks.

  • Self Portrait: This is Me, Danny, Danny Smith and The Wellcome Collection, Composer/Sound Designer – This live performance at the Wellcome Collection in London accompanied the installation of Danny Smith’s portrait in the ‘Being Human’ gallery. Guy created music and sound design for the show, which can be heard in the projects page.

  • Crimes on Centre Court, New Old Friends, Composer & Lyricist – This show was remounted for a new tour through summer and autumn of 2023, featuring the same barbershop-style songs composed for the original tour (“Perhaps the greatest inspiration in the show comes from the close-harmony hedges. All four actors, well wrapped in greenery… launch in Guy Hughes’ terrifying song, Murder.” **** The Reviews Hub).

  • Genius, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Composer/Sound Designer – This Young Company production of Phil Porter’s play featured the recorded voices of the company as part of the musical soundscape that underscored the action. One of the pieces can be heard in the projects section.

  • Born & Bread, Brighton People’s Theatre, Music Consultant – Guy was brought in to arrange some of the songs for this new play, co-created alongside the Brighton community.

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The HandleBards, Composer & Musical Director – This show marks the 10-year anniversary for this sustainable, cycling theatre company, which Guy has been working with since the first tour. He created new music played and sung live by the company of actor-musicians, which featured a vocal-led score.

  • Much Ado About Nothing, The HandleBards, Composer & Musical Director – This cycling theatre company brought back this highly popular production for another tour to Globe Neuss in Germany and The Shakespeare North Playhouse, featuring original songs and music by Guy, all performed live by a cast of four actor-musicians (***** The Stage, ***** The Wee Review, ***** Liverpool Echo).

  • To The Moon And Back, Concrete Youth, Musical Director, Arranger, Additional Music – Concrete Youth creates exceptional multi-sensory theatre for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Guy was the musical director, arranger and composer and lyricist for additional music for this show, which opened at Leeds Interplay Theatre before going on a national tour.

  • Flight: A Musical Revue, The Big Act, Director/Musical Director/Dramaturg – Guy led on this project at The Big Act Academy in Bristol working with the post-18 students to create a musical revue show exploring the journeys of a group of disparate individuals brought together by a shared desire to take a leap of faith. Packed with solo songs, chorus numbers, monologues and scenes as well as choreography by Naomi Jeffery.

2022

  • The Nutcracker, Bristol Old Vic, Actor/Musician – In this Christmas production, written by artist Director Tom Morris and directed by Lee Lyford, Guy played a collection of roles alongside providing splashes of musical storytelling on saxophone, accordion and ukulele.

  • The Mutineers, Cherwell Theatre Company, Composer and Musical Director – This community project was written by one of the young people in Banbury and was performed by the young people, working with a professional creative team, at Tooley’s Boatyard in Banbury.

  • The Athlete’s Parade, Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, Music Editor – Guy was part of the music team delivering the soundtrack for the Athlete’s Parade as part of the Opening Ceremony for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

  • Atlantis Exhibition, Arts at the Old Fire Station, Composer & Musical Director – An exhibition about the original production of Atlantis in 2021, including stories from members of Crisis about their experience working on this semi-professional production. Guy returned to run vocal and recording workshops to capture some of the original songs.

  • With Flying Colours, Barbican Theatre Plymouth, Composer – This initiative, run by Plymouth Cultural Education Partnership, involved running workshops with children at a local primary school to co-create soundscapes for a theatre production at Barbican Theatre Plymouth. These soundscapes incorporating the voices of the children can be heard in projects page.

  • Crimes on Centre Court, New Old Friends, Composer, Lyricist & Musical Director – This latest instalment from the award-winning theatre company features lots of music, including Barbershop-style comedy songs and an “excellent piano-driven score” (British Theatre Guide).

  • Our Wilder Family, Coventry City of Culture Trust, Co-composer – This piece commissioned for the closing weekend of the City of Culture 21/22 featured a 16-minute drone show accompanied by original music composed by Guy Hughes and Dan Jones, incorporating the voices of children from a local primary school and the words of the poet Bohdan Piasecki and Coventry City Voices poets. The show was witnessed by a live audience of 27,000 people in War Memorial Park and 13,000 people online.

  • Twelfth Night, The HandleBards, Dir. James Farrell, Composer & Musical Director – This cycling-show is returning for an international tour with a new cast of four (**** The Stage, “beautiful folky ukulele").

  • The Songbird Cafe, Brighton People’s Theatre, Dir. Naomi Alexander, Composer & Lyricist – A commission to create a new musical alongside the local community at Brighton People’s Theatre. The show will premier at Brighton Festival in 2023 before going on tour.

  • Freelance Singing Teacher, Italia Conti Academy of the Arts – Leading first year BA Hons degree students through continued introduction to singing and music hall studies as part of the acting course at Italia Conti.

2021

  • Freelance Singing Teacher, Italia Conti Academy of the Arts – Leading first year BA Hons degree students through an introduction to singing and folk song studies as part of the acting course at Italia Conti.

  • Atlantis, Arts at the Old Fire Station, Dir. Lizzie McBain, Composer & Musical Director – A promenade piece of theatre performed with members of the community and members of the homeless charity ‘Crisis’.

  • The Lost Musical Works of Willy Shakes, Created & Dir. Guy Hughes & Joe Leather – After a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2019 (***** Broadway Baby, ***** ThreeWeeks, **** The Telegraph), the show will have a short run in London before a tour next year.

  • Crimes, Camera, Action, New Old Friends, Theatre Royal Bath, Dir. Jame Farrell, Composer & Musical Director – This show returns for a week after the cancellation of the entire national tour in 2020.

  • Crimes in Egypt, New Old Friends, National Tour, Dir. James Farrell, Composer & Musical Director – This show returns, after a highly successful run in 2018, touring the length of the country.

  • My Sister’s Silence, R&D, Feature Film, Dir. Nadia Cavelle, Composer – Writing 3 songs to accompany a working script for a feature film.

  • The Middle Class Gentlemen, Bath Spa Productions, Dir. Feargus Woods Dunlop, Composer & Musical Director – A showcase performance with students on the theatre performance BA at Bath Spa Uni.

  • Coventry Moves, Coventry City of Culture, Co-Producer – Working for BAFTA and Ivor Novella award-winning composer Dan Jones to record local school children in Coventry and create a new piece of music for the opening event of Coventry City of Culture 2021.

  • Macbeth, The HandleBards, National Tour, Dir. Emma Sampson, Composer & Musical Director – Three-hander, all-female cycling tour of Macbeth featuring live music and songs.

2020

  • Angels in Bristol, Bristol Old Vic, Dir. Tom Morris, Co-composer – Another collaboration with BAFTA and Ivor Novello award-winning composer Dan Jones to create music for 9 short films at Christmas.

  • The Boy Who Fell From The Sky R&D Workshop, Bristol Old Vic, Director & Writer & Composer – An ACE-funded R&D process with 6 other artists exploring my new musical.

  • Lullaby, Greenwich & Docklands International Festival, Co-composer – Collaboration with BAFTA and Ivor Novello award-winning composer Dan Jones to create music for an installation artwork by Luke Jerram that saw bikes cycle through Plumstead at dusk playing a bespoke lullaby soundtrack including voices of the local community.

  • Migreatives, Woven Voices, Dir. Nadia Cavelle & Zachary Fall, Composer – A new podcast championing voices of creative artists who are migrants.

  • Pony Club at the End of the World, Dir. Edie Edmunson, Composer – A new suitcase puppet show by Edie Edmunson delivered online.

  • As You Like It & The Taming of the Shrew, RSC Playmaking Festival, Dir. Robin Belfield, Composer – Initially intended to be performed at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, this schools engagement festival was delivered as a film online with songs and recorded music.

  • The Life of Galileo, Chichester Festival Theatre, Dir. Jonathan Church, Actor/Musician – Initially intended to be performed in the Main House, this performance was cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions.

  • Crimes, Camera, Action, New Old Friends, National Tour, Dir. James Farrell, Composer & Musical Director – Initially intended for a national tour, the show was pulled 2 hours before press night.

  • Cyrano, Bristol Old Vic, Dir. Tom Morris, Musical Director/Additional Music/Actor/Musician – After a run at the Bristol Old Vic, the show was set to go to Hong Kong in January/February, which was cancelled as a result of the breakout of coronavirus there.