Watch: Hiba Elchikhe perform a number from new musical Worlds Apart

After a week of workshopping, new musical Worlds Apart releases a second glimpse with the song “Fade to Grey”, performed by Hiba Elchikhe (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie).

With book by Matthew Cavendish and music/lyrics by Paul Schofield, Ruthie Henshall’s Production Company (Three Pin Productions) has released this 90s-inspired brit pop power ballad, which captures the moment Penny Hart (workshopped by Elchikhe) expresses her feelings of alienation among her peers in her private boarding school surroundings.

As the musical develops, Penny finds her confidence in leadership and leads the change for female empowerment within the school, correcting the system and bringing down the bullies.

The workshop, which took place at Paul Taylor Mills’ Turbine Theatre in Battersea Power Station, was developed with direction by Luke Kernaghan and choreography by Claira Vaughan. The creative team also includes visual design by Andrew Exeter, sound design by Dan Samson and orchestrations by Lewis Andrews.

Captured with Motion Graphics and Effects by Sam Diaz and videography by West End Video.

The production is being developed by West End star Henshall’s production company. Henshall said “Hiba’s involvement in workshopping the character of the female voice within this new musical is incredibly exciting, her intelligence and strength as a performer shines through in the performance. Worlds Apart is a quintessentially British new musical with all the energy and youthful optimism that is still desperately needed 20 years on.”

Set between two schools separated by a fence in South London 1999, Worlds Apart follows the comedic coming of age journey between Dylan, an educational misfit with the gift of the gab and Kevin, an academic fantasist with social anxiety. Two 17 year olds on the cusp of a new millennium where anything seemed possible and youth culture defined the rules.

Driven by an anarchic brit pop influenced original score, the boys push the boundaries of classroom order, taking their future’s into their own hands to beat the system.