Success. Despair. A new beginning.
Mark Glentworth was at the peak of a successful music career when he lost it all. Following a breakdown, he endured seven and a half years in isolation. He spent the first six months in a psychiatric unit and the next seven years confined to his home, surviving on just a single sandwich a day from his corner shop. But eventually, he found his way back to his family, the world, and music.
Experience an extraordinary true story as Mark shares his moving, darkly humorous, and uplifting journey through music and storytelling.
After the show’s premiere at the 2021 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it received special mention and was awarded Best Musical Runner-Up, Mark met director Julia Stubbs. They began collaborating on the show, developing and presenting it on the London Fringe and at the 75th Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022.
In 2023, they created a new, expanded version of the musical, which toured UK theatres and festivals, earning excellent reviews and an OffFest nomination.
“It’s not very often you can say you saw something that really was that bit different…
‘Seven And A Half Years’ is not just unusual but an intensely personal piece that is both real and relevant”
Reviewer Number 9
★★★★
“Glentworth is clearly an outstanding musician, and the music in the show – which switches seamlessly from prerecorded tracks to live piano and back again – is testament to his talent…. this is a really good piece of storytelling”
North West End UK
★★★★
“Glentworth rises to the challenge of the role magnificently… Directed by Julia Stubbs this is a moving piece of theatre”
ReviewsGate
★★★★
“This is a biographical work like nothing else I ever seen. Mark Glentworth was a successful musician, working as an associate of Steven Berkoff for many years, creating the scores for some of his most celebrated work such as Metamorphosis and Coriolanus. A master craftsman of a truly high pedigree, fulfilling his potential.”
Musical Theatre Review
Watch all the show videos and more by visiting our YouTube channel HERE
“Glentworth creates an impressive drama through the music… The struggle behind the beauty of the music we hear, making this an intriguing piece of work.”
Backstage Bristol
“This music is very, very moving”
Steven Berkoff
“Glentworth is a talented composer and this shines through… It’s a beautiful tale of hope and mental health struggles.”
LOST IN Theatreland
View the show’s history in 2023 by clicking HERE
View the show’s history in 2021-2022 by clicking HERE
Media
Production photography by Grey Swan
About the artist
MARK GLENTWORTH
Mark Glentworth’s work as a composer spans a wide spectrum, from commercial songwriting to orchestral compositions and opera. Most recently, he has composed and performed his award-winning OffFest-nominated solo autobiographical gig theatre show, SEVEN and a half YEARS. Mark has also begun collaborating with singer-pianist Frida Bollani on a new show titled TWO LIVES.
At 16, Mark became the youngest percussionist ever to attend the Royal Northern College of Music. His first published percussion composition, Blues For Gilbert has become the most studied, recorded, and performed tuned percussion piece of all time, amassing thousands of performances on YouTube with over a million collective views. He is also renowned for his over 40-year collaboration with British playwright and actor Steven Berkoff on many of his celebrated theatre productions.
Throughout his career, Mark has travelled the world, performing his live scores in theatre and playing as a percussionist with the late Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’s contemporary ensemble, Fires of London as well as with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the London Sinfonietta.
Mark’s first commercial single, These Three Words is now available on all streaming platforms, including Bandcamp and SoundCloud.