The Optimists


Tom Parkinson and I have written another musical (after 2022’s A Small Good Thing). Last year’s was a tough job, centring as it did an the death of a child. This year we wanted to do something lighter, funnier, more… optimistic. In our early discussions, Tom. and I confessed to each other that we were, in fact, both optimists, that we believe things can get better. We also agreed that there’s a difference between vacuous optimism (everything’s possible with a positive mental attitude) and a radical optimism (things can get better but it takes human effort and may involve fundamental transformation of society). Already it’s seeming like a weird old thing for a musical.

But we did it. The Optimists takes our heroine, Joy, who is naturally sunny and upbeat about everything, but is surrounded by jaded cynical friends. Her attempts to persuade them to see the glass as half full leads to disaster for them and a break-up of her relationship. But then she ix approached by a group of urban activists, The Optimists, who want to turn everyone’s frown upside down. Through her experience with them, her sense of optimism is sharpened and hardened, but finally she comes to realise that true optimism involves radical change.

We had, as before, an extraordinary cast and the show seems to have delighted its audience. Tom and I were very proud of what we created with them.

FYI, here’s the song list:

  1. Meet Joy

  2. Turn Your Frown Upside Down

  3. I Know Who You Are

  4. The Worst Day of My Life/It’s Not You It’s Me

  5. Alone

  6. The Optimists’ Song

  7. I’ve Never Seen This Before

  8. Something is Happening

  9. It’s Not You It’s Me (reprise)

  10. Lipstick on a Pig

  11. Burn it All Down