Urban Opera Home

A.B. can be described as a solitary individual. He has a loyal and mature side to his character and the concept of failure in life, for him, it’s just not an option. In Act One he tries his best to be accepted by the crew at the party. Hustling in the streets is the way he makes a living, paying the bills and financing music studio sessions.

After the death of his mother he finds himself alone and he has no choice but to find and fulfil his dreams. He starts out by making mix-tape music and as he progresses in the game, his character breaks out of the dark clouds of grief.

Bursting with new energy, his music begins to reach a wider audience when he’s recognised by the music industry and offered a commercial contract. As his name becomes better known, the people that had always doubted him are left shell-shocked by his fast progression. He believes dreams are there for a reason…to change them into reality.

Louie is a very deep and focused individual, his goals and ambitions in life are all completely centered on creative and expressive writing, where he is constantly inspired by things around him. He is 100% stubborn and won’t change his lifestyle or goals for anything or anyone.

Being brought up in a poverty-stricken council estate in Glasgow exposed him to a brewing prejudice when his area eventually became a multi-cultural ‘community’ with asylum seekers and refugees. Louie was seriously assaulted for standing up for the new ‘foreigners’.

His friends have nice cars and nice clothes however he has no interest in material objects or financial gain, he is a firm believer that happiness and creativity are his currency and he is determined to spend his life striving for contentment and success. His strength and determination are sometimes perceived as a weakness by his peers who don't fully understand his concept of looking at life’s 'bigger picture’.

At the opening of Act One we see Louie and his friend Shah preparing the flat for the party, when they discover they’ve got more in common than they realized…

Jack Jones is of mixed race and refers to himself as ‘Afropean’. He is a likeable character that didn’t finish school with the grades that he needed for university and yet he never really looked back. He has found his upbringing difficult, moving from country to country as a child where he felt he always had to decide which cultural heritage to choose from, was he white or black?

As a young man, he is an individual with emotional problems, grinding away his days employed in a call centre in Glasgow and desperately unhappy with the way life is turning out for him. He is in a relationship with Jayde, but he cannot fully commit to her. He takes drugs to ‘get by’ which is having a detrimental effect on his relationship and his life as a whole.

He desperately wants to find a way of releasing his talent and passion for performing. The gas is ignited by a spark, as he watches some dancers at the party in Act One, but his girlfriend didn’t realise he was going to be there….

Sam aka “Boshemian Rocker” lives life daily wondering how he is goingto pay his way. His family were not impressed with him choosing dance as a career and gave him an ultimatum, “Get a proper job or get out of the house”. He moved out of his childhood home, but had came across hard times. His crew soon became his family.

His first introduction to B-Boy culture was watching the Rock Steady Crew perform at the Royal Variety Performance and from then on he began to collect all the footage he could get his hands on to learn the skills. Sam uses dance to expel his demons in life, as the frustration of where his next rent cheque is coming from is soul destroying. Initially staying on at university, he soon became disillusioned with the System and felt creatively stifled.

Currently street shows have become his only way to generate some income but the cash is minimal. In the cold climate of Glasgow, getting an audience in the rain can be difficult and therefore alternative funds need to be found. He is constantly questioning himself as to whether he made the right decision by leaving home. A chance meeting with a fellow dancer at the party in Act One, confirms for him, that he has made the right choice and his love for the art form pushes him to plan for the future

Character Understudy: ShellToeMel

Born in Glasgow, eighteen year old Storm comes from a violent and broken home. Her first memory was her mother screaming as she witnessed her father repeatedly hitting her, he eventually left to live with another woman. However importantly, there were also happier times in her childhood when her mother used to teach her to sing. Although times were hard financially, her mother always made sure she received a good education and Storm enjoyed school where she was very popular.

When Storm tragically lost her mother to lung cancer at the age of sixteen, she turned to her ex-boyfriend for comfort but when he cheated on her, they split up. It was also around this time that she discovered her father was now in prison for drug dealing.

As a result of her difficult background, Storm puts up a ‘front’ in life and pretends to be happy, but she is very bitter with a huge chip on her shoulder. She comes across as very confident but is intimidating and tends to crack jokes to humiliate other people. Due to the anger and hurt she feels inside she is loud, arrogant and at times an aggressive bully. Only her true friends realize that it’s all just an act and deep down she can be sensitive and thoughtful.

In Act One at the party, Storm faces a harsh reality, when she discovers that she is pregnant with C.B.’s child, what will become of her? It’s time to make some grown up decisions; will she change to become a better person, the person she really is inside? She needs to unearth her true personality, for the sake of herself and her baby…

D was born in 1987 in Glasgow’s notorious East End. An only child, he was raised by his alcoholic and often violent Father. His Mother left at a very young age and D never knew her. After being excluded from no less than 6 schools by the age of 16 (usually for disruptive and aggressive behaviour) D ran away from his Father's after a terrible argument.

His Father never reported him missing and D went off the radar for a couple of years staying with various friends as well as homeless hostels, where he began taking drugs as well as supplying them.

After hearing the news of his Fathers death he returned to the East End and managed to re-occupy the flat where he and his Father had once lived. Confident of his new status in the area he grew up in, D became the head of the main gang in his area and rules the local community through fear…

Character Understudy: Loki

Born in East London in 1987, Jayde had a Scottish mother and Jamaican father. After being raised in a turbulent and abusive home, her mum decided to move them from a rough area in East London up to Glasgow and it was at school that Jayde began to discover her passion for music and singing. Making up for the past, her mum lavished attention on her as a child, resulting in Jayde becoming a bit of a spoilt ‘princess’.

As she got older, she received even more attention from her peers and teachers who encouraged her to pursue a career in music as a professional singer. Her mum however, wanted her to go to university to follow in her footsteps and become a teacher. As time went on, although Jayde truly loved music and found solace in expressing her feelings in song, she began to be blinded by the industry and became much more interested in a career of fame and fortune.

In Act One at the party, we see evidence in her relationship with Jack Jones that she distrusts men as a result of her father’s behaviour, like her mum, she expects respect and commitment. With childhood experiences in common, we can also see that Jayde and her friend Storm have similar personality traits. When will Jayde begin to grow up and realise that it’s her original ‘true’ love of music that will take her places…and happiness in life does not depend on the superficial things it can bring?

Campbell Lockheart was born in California, USA living with his parents and grandparents till the age of ten when his family emigrated to Glasgow. Although his grandparents moved to a different household on their arrival in Scotland, Campbell became very close to his grandfather going into his teens.

He has powerful memories of his grandfather watching television shows and old tapes featuring artists such as James Brown and Tamla Motown stars in America. The show that stuck in his mind the most, was called Soul Train, where a particular dance group called ‘The Lockers’ used to perform. As a child he often attempted to imitate their dance moves.

It wasn’t till his early teens in Scotland when his grandfather brought out the old tapes again that he started to watch it and subsequently listened to all the old vinyls. Inspired, he began studying the style in earnest and would dance along to the songs in his bedroom.

Currently his life is quite complicated, as he has just finished school and has headed to college to study science, however his heart lies in music and dancing and he is unsure where he is heading. Previously Campbell had looked upon Hip Hop as commercial garbage however after meeting new friends in college he attends the party in Act One. Here he begins to discover a differant side of the genre and finally learn it’s true meaning...

Born in Iran, Shah is a 19 year old artist living in the south of Glasgow. Art has been his main passion in life since he was a child. Being brought up in a middle-eastern country, he has witnessed more then his fair share of hardship, misery and grief, which is one the main reasons that he now strives for peace and happiness in his life. He doesn't have a desire for wealth and he wants to believe that money is not important, but the financial cost of real life stops him from being so sure.

Shah’s not the type of guy to readily convey his feelings but he understands that creating art can bring them to the surface, so he uses it to understand and reflect on his emotions. He believes that visual arts can display feelings that cannot be expressed by words alone. On his creative journey he has also discovered a passion for Hip Hop and has begun writing about his daily experiences in a rap format.

In Act One, Shah is getting prepared for a party that’s taking place in his flat, when he’s surprised at Louie’s reaction to one of his recent works…maybe he’s not the only one that feels the way he does.

Neera is a free spirited girl, who has a hidden spark to her character. Brought up by her single parent mother, she develops her mum’s strength, but also her tendency to find it hard to trust people. Her father, labelled a 'gypsy' left the family at an early age, followed his traveling feet and has never returned. Neera's nomadic ways, no sense of belonging and 'itchy feet' reflect her fathers influence.

At school she was bullied because she looked different and didn’t fit in, however now at the tender age of 21 years old, she is finally embracing the characteristics that make her individual. She is the type of person who stands out in a crowd of people with a humble and modest poise. The one thing that keeps Neera's heart beating, is dreaming that one day she will reach people with her music. When she opens her mouth to sing, she touches hearts with the emotion in her voice, but has never had the confidence to believe it.

Her lack of trust in people comes from having had her heart broken, her father leaving the family and from countless broken promises of venue managers who agree to put her in the spotlight, but who ironically never have enough time to hear her audition. Can she finally overcome the odds and learn to trust not only others but more importantly…herself?

G-Mac is a happy out-going character, enjoying life to the full. Business is in his blood, which would offer him lots of opportunities, but more than anything else he loves composing music and rapping, he can’t decide what option is best for his future career, should he be pressurised by his family to do the conventional thing and play safe or continue to pursue his three year quest for creative success?

In Act One, G-Mac shares his concerns with his best friend at the party, who tries to give him some support. He values C.B.’s opinion and advice, but ultimately he alone must make the decision but what will he choose…his head or his heart?

C.B. is a good and honest person who’s loved by everyone. He’s the type f guy who doesn’t give up easily, but occasionally his inability to ‘let things go’…can put him in some bad situations.

He is a very talented young rapper and with commercial interest beginning to surface, it’s an exiting time for him. He’s at a point in his life right now where he feels he is ready to make the leap into the spotlight. However tragedy strikes in Act Two…will he live to discover he’s soon to become a father?