T.J. Spencer

T.J. Spencer was born in Taunton, Somerset in the U.K. in 1972. Around the age of fourteen, Tim discovered a love for creating music. His first venture into musical creation was a juvenile piece called "La Rivoluzione," based on the Italian revolution. Although it has long disappeared, a couple of the tunes resurfaced in later works. In 1989, Tim witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall on television, a truly historic moment. After that, Tim set about the idea of creating the musical BERLIN. Its first incarnation was a basic set of songs and a rough plot in 1991. From this developed the 1994 version, which was first performed at the Priory Theatre in Kenilworth and subsequently at the College Theatre, Coventry, culminating in the full orchestral version, which was staged at the Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham, in 1995. In 1996, Tim created two new workshop musicals: VINCENT, loosely based on the film/book "Lust for Life" about Vincent van Gogh, and RISING SUN, the all-female musical influenced by Tenko. Both were subsequently performed and, although it was well received, Tim left VINCENT behind to concentrate on a full production of RISING SUN, which was first performed in July of 1997 at the Talisman Theatre in Kenilworth. Whilst working on a cruise ship in 2000 Tim set about rewriting and scoring both musicals. In 2006, BERLIN was staged in full at The College Theatre in Coventry for a four night run. Following this, a showcase version of the show was performed at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, and the Original Cast Recording from the musical made it to the number 1 spot in the Dress Circle Musical Theatre Charts. In 2009 RISING SUN was produced in Stratford-upon-Avon under the direction of Wilson Roberts. Tim is presently working on several projects including a musical version of "The Man in the Iron Mask," a full version of VINCENT, an original idea called THE TOMBSTONES, a musical based on the George Barr McCutcheon book "Brewsters Millions" alongside producer/director Steve Boden, and, just for good measure, an opera based on the works of a fictitious eighteenth century French composer Felix Venerin called THE LEGEND OF VENERIN.