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 the stage, television, film, musical theatre and dance. Having trained as an actor at the Central School and Speech and Drama, Grant was the Bridewell Theatre Company's resident composer from 2003 to 2004, and is now a proud Associate Artist at Shakespeare's Globe and Curve in Leicester.
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Composition highlights in theatre include his many collaborations with Nicholas Hytner both at the Bridge Theatre: RICHARD II, 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.
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Grant is also the musical director for Hay Shantymen
LATEST NEWS
Associate Artist - Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Grant is honoured and delighted to have been named an Associate Artist at Shakespeare's Globe.
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"It is a particular privilege to be associated with a theatre where musicians are so vital to the theatre making process and where live music contributes so much to the storytelling and audience experience. The Globe is a special building filled with special people and some of my favourite theatre experiences have taken place within that wooden O. I can't wait to get back there and make some more music."
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 - Album
​The soundtrack to the Bridge Theatre's 2025 production of Richard II (starring Jonathan Bailey and directed by Nicholas Hytner), is now available on Air Edel Records. Containing 52 minutes of Grant's original music 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​
A Midsummer Night's Dream - Bridge Theatre
Nicholas Hytner's five star immersive production of A Midsummer Night's Dream complete with flying faeries, wandering beds and a song by a certain Beyoncé Knowles is back at the Bridge Theatre with Grant returning to refresh and update his celebrated score. With Susannah Fielding as Titania, J J Field as Oberon, Emmanuel Akwafo as Bottom and David Moorst returning as Puck.
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"This is still the finest A Midsummer Night's Dream I have ever seen. Nicholas Hytner's production at the Bridge is complex, hilarious and utterly exhilarating" ***** The Telegraph
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"I can't remember enjoying a Dream more. This acrobatic, erotic, playfully queered version of Shakespeare's comedy is even better than it was in 2019" ***** Evening Standard
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Playing until 20th August, do not miss the most joyful and love filled night you will ever spend in a theatre. Book here.
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 140 countries. With a star studded voice cast which includes Warwick Davis, Stanley Tucci, Gemma Arterton, Julie Walters, Richard E Grant and Charles Dance.
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Easily the best part is the musical sequence in a castle. In it, Moley channels his inner ’70s Vegas lounge singer and does it fantastically. It’s filled with back-up singers, a chorus line, and acrobatics. The entire film is worth your time for that scene alone. - MuggleNet.com
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Coming soon...
Merlin - Northern Ballet, directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie. Sep 13th - Nov 15th 2025.