Viewmark | BANNED Musical | Rethink Gender

BANNED the Musical - Performing Arts Case Study

Read the BANNED Creative Strategy  (Identity)

OBJECTIVE: Continue Viewmark’s investment in original musical theatre by developing and presenting a new production for audiences in Denver and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

BACKGROUND: Following Eigg, Viewmark continued exploring how independent theatre can bring together storytelling, music, performance, and media. BANNED the Musical became the next step in that effort and another opportunity to support a community of actors, musicians, designers, and theatre makers.

CHALLENGE: Take a new musical from development to production while creating a distinct identity that could attract audiences in a crowded theatrical marketplace, particularly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where thousands of productions compete for attention.

SOLUTION: Viewmark approached BANNED as both a theatrical production and a creative brand. Original music, staging, visual identity, digital media, promotional content, and audience outreach worked together to give the show a recognizable voice. The result was another Denver-developed production brought to an international audience and another step in building a sustainable model for producing independent musical theatre.

OUTCOME: BANNED the Musical debuted at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and earned a four-star review from The Scotsman. The review praised the ambition of the production, its energetic Denver-based company, and Alsup’s “strong and memorable” songs, complex ensemble arrangements, and “glowing harmonies.”

The production demonstrated Viewmark’s ability to take a challenging contemporary subject, develop a distinctive identity around it, and bring an original Denver-created musical to an international audience.

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