Richard Hall aka Titch, is the creative lunatic mind behind Stardust: The Musical, serving as the show’s original book writer, composer, lyricist, and arranger.
With a deep love for storytelling and memorable music, Richard crafted Stardust as a vibrant celebration of community, resilience, and human connection. The show captures the delicate balance between the lure of “easy shortcuts” and the genuine magic created through honest hard work, heart, and a strong local spirit.
Look closely at the show’s narrative, and you will find deep connections to the lived experience of AuDHD, the very heart and inspiration behind Richard writing this piece. For Richard, this is not just another personal or creative project; it is something that defines who he is as a person and allows him to live more authentically.
Writing a full-length musical has sat on Richard’s bucket list for over 35 years, which is saying something, given he is 46 at the time of writing this! Even as an eleven-year-old child, he loved the stories he could tell through music, finding a depth of expression in song that often felt difficult to share face-to-face. As someone who is AuDHD and dyslexic, Richard was frequently told he lacked the “staying power” to write long scripts, making a full-length musical feel like a mountain too high to climb.
The story of Stardust actually began on a bit of a dare. One evening, Richard and his wife were having a meal with Sam and Amanda Board from the Bristol School of Performing Arts, chatting about Richard’s ADHD, his endless creative projects, and his lifelong dream of writing a musical. Sam, never one to let a good idea go unchallenged, dared Richard to write something for the school. Sitting in Molly’s Diner at the time, surrounded by the hum of conversation and the clink of cutlery, Richard looked around and said, “Alright then, I’ll write a Jukebox musical about a Diner… and a Jukebox.”
That spark of a moment became Stardust. With the overwhelming love, support, and belief of Sam and Amanda, Richard was able to knuckle down and bring his vision to life. What started as a playful challenge turned into a story about wishes, memory, magic, and community. It explores the seductive shimmer of easy miracles and the deeper, lasting glow of love, effort, and togetherness.
The result is a piece that not only reflects Richard’s unique way of seeing the world, but also reveals a personal, authentic side of himself that others may have caught glimpses of, but had never truly seen out in the open. It is a tribute to special places, to the people who gather there, and to the music that brings us back to who we are written for anyone who’s ever made a wish on a shooting star, and then rolled up their sleeves to make it come true.
