Acclaimed Welsh musical theatre performer Lauren Drew, best known for her celebrated performances in SIX, Titanique, Legally Blonde, RENT and The Book of Mormon, is featured in the newly released concept album of Ayla: A New Musical, now available to stream worldwide.
Bringing together an international cast of leading West End, Broadway and recording artists, Ayla is an ambitious new musical set in a post-cataclysmic future where nature is disappearing, tribes are divided by fear and ancient laws, and fire has become the world’s most precious resource.
Listen to the full album here.
Lauren Drew performs “The Brightest Flame”, one of the album’s most moving and atmospheric songs. Ayla: A New Musical tells the story of Ayla, a young woman who challenges fear-driven leadership and believes that survival depends on unity between people. As two rival tribes face a changing climate and an uncertain future, Ayla must choose hope over fear, compassion over division, and courage over tradition.
At the heart of the story lies the ancient spirit of the Prometheus myth: the fire that belongs to the few must be shared with the many. Through a powerful mother-daughter conflict and a journey of courage and compassion, the musical explores some of the defining challenges of our time, including leadership, collective hope and environmental responsibility.
Recorded at Rogue Studios in London, the 32-track concept album features an internationally recognised cast including Nathania Ong (Hamilton, Les Misérables), Djavan van de Fliert (Frozen, Les Misérables), Lauren Drew (SIX, Titanique, Legally Blonde), Joaquin Pedro Valdes (The Lion King, Heathers, Death Note: The Musical), Jordan Shaw (Hadestown, Les Misérables), Jonathan Andrew Hume (Hamilton, Come From Away), acclaimed singer-songwriter Arlissa, and Japanese musical theatre performer Miisha Shimizu, known as the voice of Glinda in the Japanese film adaptation of Wicked.
The release of the concept album marks a major milestone in the development of Ayla: A New Musical, which is currently building audience momentum ahead of future concert presentations and a planned stage production.
Ayla: A New Musical is produced by Academy Award and BAFTA-winning producer Giovanna Romagnoli.
Music and orchestrations are by award-winning composer Gianluca Cucchiara, with lyrics by award-winning writer Andrew James Whelan, choir direction by Josh Cottell, and associate production by Peter “Neros” Ibsen.
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