If you are a Twilight fan then you will not want to miss a show that is coming to the Etcetera Theatre in Camden on the 20th of September this week. Cullens, A New Musical is a parody of the first film and to find out all about it I spoke to one of it’s creators, Louis.

Hello Louis how are you, tell us about yourself? 

We (Louis Critchely and Evangleine Barnby) are graduates from East 15’s World Performance course and, being both fans of Twilight and musical theatre, decided this was a perfect opportunity to create this fever dream of a mashup. We love goofs and gags, so we wanted to make something that was utterly ridiculous and didn’t take itself remotely seriously!

Tell us all about Cullen’s A New Musical 

“Cullens”  is a parody musical of the first Twilight book/movie. Filled with whacky numbers and colourful recreations of the original characters, it is a loving reimagining of the source material that hooked many of our early teenage brains. We follow Belle, a quirky teen who is “not like other girls”, and her journey to find someone like her amidst the monotony of the seemingly innocuous town of Forks. She quickly falls for Edmund, a pale and mysterious bad boy who hides a not-so-secret secret. Still, a better love story than… nevermind.

Why did you decide to create a parody of Twilight? 

Twilight is one of the most beloved franchises on the planet, and it infected the minds of many YA readers (including ourselves) during the 2000s. Now that much of its audience has grown older, we hold a lot of nostalgia for it. With the passage of time, we can also see the (perhaps not so subtle) holes in the writing. Nonetheless, we love it anyway and want to recapture that love for the series in this musical!

What has been the most fun part to parody and why? 

The most fun part to parody was easily the Cullen family themselves, as they each have such iconic archetypes surrounding them, which we have dialled to eleven! From Ally’s aloof visions to Rosie’s standoffish bitchiness, fans will love seeing their favourite vampire family in this new light.

What can you tell us about you show in London this week?

We will be doing a showing at the Etcetera Theatre on Friday the 20th of September at 9:00pm. The show will be forty minutes and tickets can be bought here: https://www.citizenticket.com/events/etcetera-theatre/cullens/

What is the most challenging thing about doing the show?

The most challenging part of making this show was definitely figuring out how to cut down the story into such a short time frame. Because of this, it’s going to feel like a whistle stop tour of all of the most iconic moments from the original plot, alongside some of our own additions/changes. Even if you know Twilight inside out, you’ll still get something new from this rendition!

What have been some of the best highlights since doing the show?

A definite highlight from making this show has been working with our wonderful cast, who each provide their own on the beloved characters. A lot of our rehearsals were just us goofing around and deciding to make it part of the show. This show kind of feels like one big inside joke that the audience are in on, which gives it a really warm and inviting atmosphere.

What is the best reaction you have had from an audience member?

We’ve had some absolutely lovely feedback from some of our previous audiences. A personal favourite of mine was one person who said they “felt sick from laughing so hard”!

If people want to follow you on social media where can they find you?

You can find our instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/_cullens_the_musical_/
Our TikTok is: https://www.tiktok.com/@cullens_the_musical

Finally in three words why should people come to your show?

Love, Vampires and Sparkles!