GRANT OLDING​
GRANT OLDING
From his studio between the Black Mountains and the Golden Valley award winning composer, lyricist and multi-instrumentalist Grant Olding writes and produces music for television, stage, film and dance. He also works as a vocal and performance coach, and has provided provided song, performance and instrument coaching for James Corden, Anna Friel, Pixie Lott, Martin Freeman, Rufus Hound, Emily Browning, Rory Kinnear, Emily Atack, Owain Arthur, Ashley Tisdale and the cast of Upstart Crow over three series.
Composition highlights in theatre include his many collaborations with Nicholas Hytner both at the Bridge Theatre: LA BELLE SAUVAGE, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, TWO LADIES, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, ALYS ALWAYS, YOUNG MARX and at the National Theatre: TIMON OF ATHENS, TRAVELLING LIGHT, GREAT BRITAIN, ENGLAND PEOPLE VERY NICE, THE ALCHEMIST, SOUTHWARK FAIR, THE MAN OF MODE and most notably writing and performing the songs in ONE MAN TWO GUVNORS, the National Theatre's smash hit comedy starring James Corden, which ran for over three years in the West End and Broadway where Grant was nominated for a Tony Award and won the Drama Desk Award for best music in a play.
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Grant has also written many scores for the Royal Shakespeare Company including THE ROVER, THE FANTASTIC FOLLIES OF MRS RICH, and THE HYPOCRITE as well as DON QUIXOTE and OPPENHEIMER which both transferred to the West End.
In 2013 Grant wrote the songs and score for the animated feature film SAVING SANTA starring Martin Freeman and Tim Curry, and for the same creative team in 2021/22 Grant scored the Warner Brother's animated TV series MOLEY starring Warwick Davis, Stanley Tucci, Gemma Arterton and Richard E Grant.
Other television highlights include scoring the film CHRISTMAS CAROLE starring Suranne Jones for Sky, three series of UPSTART CROW for the BBC and two series of MARLEY'S GHOSTS for UKTV Gold. Also for the BBC he has scored sitcoms including I WANT MY WIFE BACK and THE BLEAK OLD SHOP OF STUFF, as well as one off films like A CHRISTMAS CAROL GOES WRONG and THE PACT.
In 2016 Grant's first full length dance piece JEKYLL & HYDE premiered at the Old Vic Theatre, directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, and in 2021 the pair's first classical ballet MERLIN premiered with the Northern Ballet Company and in 2022 was broadcast in cinemas.
LATEST NEWS
Romeo & Juliet - Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Directed by Sean Holmes and reuniting the team behind the Comedy of Errors and Much Ado About Nothing, this production of Romeo and Juliet is set in the American West, in a frontier town in the 1880's. With a live score of bluegrass, country, parlour songs, and ragtime composed with a cinematic and expressionistic fluidity, this truly is Romeo and Juliet as you have never seen it before.​ Playing at Shakespeare's Globe until 2nd August 2025, book your tickets now!
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Grant Olding’s music brings both euphoria and shivering unease to a production that resonantly demonstrates not just the elation but also the courage needed to sustain love in a world where violence constantly begets violence. - The Arts Desk
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The Telegraph ****
The Financial Times ****
The Guardian ****
Whatsonstage ****
London Theatre ****
The Stage ****
The Arts Desk ****
Broadwayworld ****
The Reviews Hub ****
West End Best Friend ****​​​
Richard II by William Shakespeare - Bridge Theatre
Directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Jonathan Bailey in the title role this thrilling production ran at the Bridge Theatre from March to May 2025. In this contemporary setting one of Shakespeare's least performed plays felt relevant and propulsive and played as a high stakes family crime drama.
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The soundtrack to the production containing 52 minutes of Grant's music was released on Air Edel Records and you can download or stream it wherever you get your music.
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An epic, cinematic score that feels more like a proper all-encompassing soundtrack that bookends or accompanies almost every scene. It’s exquisite. - Broadwayworld.com​
The Hay Shantymen
Grant became the new musical director of the Hay Shantymen in 2024 - a rollicking bunch of landlubbers from the east coast of Wales.
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Singing rousing shanties and other sea songs the Hay Shantymen have a well earned reputation for their ambitious arrangements and spirited singing.
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In December the Hay Shantymen released their first Christmas single on the Besant Hall label. A double A side of Drunken Santa (a new version of What Shall we do with the Drunken Sailor) and We Sail (a nautical and Christmas themed version of the Gloucestershire Wassail) the festive single is available on all platforms and paves the way for a full album in 2025 amongst appearances at various festivals throughout the year.​
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Check out www.hayshantymen.com for more info.
Moley on Boomerang/Pop/Peacock worldwide.
The 52 part animated TV series Moley, with music by Grant is currently playing daily on Warner Brothers' channel Boomerang as well as POP and Peacock in over 130 countries. With a star studded voice cast which includes Warwick Davis, Stanley Tucci, Gemma Arterton, Julie Walters, Richard E Grant and Charles Dance.
Coming soon...
​A Midsummer Night's Dream - Bridge Theatre, directed by Nicholas Hytner. May 31st - Aug 23rd 2025.
Merlin - Northern Ballet, directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie. Sep 13th - Nov 15th 2025.