I’ve written a wide variety of musicals, opera and songs
For the works featured below, I composed the music and provided the arrangements, orchestrations and vocal arrangements, unless otherwise indicated.
Extracts can be heard in the Audio Gallery or on my SoundCloud
Good Golly Miss Molly
Revived as part of the New Vic’s 40th Anniversary. I was the musical director on this classic rock ‘n’ roll compilation musical about a community group that fights to save its neighbourhood from demolition.
Writer and director: Bob Eaton
Production: New Vic, Newcastle-Under Lyme, 2026
Musical director and vocal arrangements: Sayan Kent
Her Day
By Sayan Kent (music) & Vanessa Oakes (libretto)
Written for four sopranos, a women’s community chorus, and a small ensemble (flute, violin, cello, double bass, piano).
Her Day was created for a mix of professional and non-professional singers and offers an artistic platform that amplifies unheard voices. It tells the story of four women who meet regularly at a local community centre, a place where they exchange stories, food, laughter, and friendship. Set during their final session, the opera explores themes of grief, migration, care work, mental health, domestic abuse, and celebrates connection, resilience, and the unexpected humour that can surface even in tough times.
World premiere in March 2022 as part of Coventry UK City of Culture, performed at the hmv Empire, Coventry.
Librettist: Vanessa Oakes
Musical direction: Berak Dyer.
Directed by: Lucy Bradley.
Cast: Nina Bennet, Kelly Glyptis, Grace Nyandoro, and Claire Wild.
Supported using public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, Spirit of 2012 via Coventry City of Culture Trust, and the Heart of England Community Foundation.
Highlights video (12 mins) Her Day Highlights
Maggie May
Royal Court, Liverpool
Maggie May enjoyed huge success at the Royal Court, Liverpool in autumn 2018, receiving many five and four-star reviews. Straight off the boat from Dublin and bound for a new life in New York, Maggie May falls victim to a light-fingered Liverpudlian minutes after arriving in port.
Book by Bob Eaton. Lyrics by Bob Eaton & Sayan Kent. Musical Director: Howard Gray. Directed by Bob Eaton.
Reviews:
★★★★★“A powerful and emotive production that stays with you long after the show has ended.” – Lowdown Magazine
“Filled with beautifully arranged music and songs. 9/10” – Liverpool Sound and Vision.
★★★★”Heartrending and empowering” – North West End
★★★★ “A heart-breaking, heart-warming, home-grown hit.” – Wirral Globe
Limestone Cowboy
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. A reboot of an earlier musical, Country, with new songs.
Book, music and lyrics by Bob Eaton & Sayan Kent.
Reviews:
“Some toe-tapping original songs that keep you rocking and rolling to the end of the show.” – Paul Williams, Evening Telegraph
Silas Marner
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
Adapted by Bob Eaton & Sayan Kent from the novel by George Eliot. The musical director was folk music legend John Kirkpatrick.
Directed by Mark Babych.
Reviews:
“A very attractive score by Sayan Kent… The songs, mainly folk ballad in style, add to the rural atmosphere of the story without ever dominating it.” – Ann Fitzgerald, The Stage
The Good Companions
Co-written with Bob Eaton from the novel by J.B. Priestley.
A warm-hearted story of a group of touring theatricals in the 1920s. Commissioned by Peter Cheeseman for the New Vic, Newcastle-Under-Lyme in 1995.
The Good Companions was later produced at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry (1998, directed by Bob Eaton), Theatre by the Lake, Keswick (2002, directed by Ian Forrest), and the New Wolsey, Ipswich (2003, directed by Pete Rowe).
Review:
“Many tuneful numbers which caught the spirit of the age splendidly” – John Fox/The Stage
Country
New Vic, Newcastle-Under-Lyme & Mercury Theatre, Colchester.
Book, by Bob Eaton. Music & lyrics by Bob Eaton & Sayan Kent.
Musical Director (Newcastle-Under-Lyme) – Kate Edgar.
Musical Director (Mercury Theatre, Colchester) – Julian Littman.
Directed by Bob Eaton.
Reviews:
“Into this story is woven a score full of appealing tunes …” John Fox, The Stage
“ The potential is there for a seriously big hit with lovers of country music as well as those who have their doubts. I bought the cassette” – Robin Thornber, The Guardian
Factory Follies
Croydon Warehouse Theatre.
Book by Tash Fairbanks. Additional music by Colin Sell & Juliet E Hill.
Produced by Twentieth Century Vixens.
Directed by Sue Colgrave.
Hot Doris the Musical
Oval House.
Book and Lyrics by Brendan Murray & The Hot Doris Band.
Directed by Brendan Murray.
Review:
“A beautiful crunchy harmony section in the song EASY” – Sarah Moore, Spare Rib
Bloody Elektra
Albany Empire, Deptford.
Book by Michael Crompton.
Lyrics by Michael Crompton & Sayan Kent (Akaddas).
Directed by Michael Crompton.
Review:
“…lunatic, luscious, liberating… the music is an irreverent but tunefully compelling hybrid owing much to ’50s rock’n’roll, Weill and Lloyd Webber…” – Ann McFerran, Time Out
72 Days
Oval House & Tom Allen Centre.
Book & lyrics by V.T. Simpson.
1871. Women and the Paris Commune.
Directed by Sue Colgrave.
Reviews:
“There is no denying the strong tunes and lyrics” – Claire Armistead, Financial Times
“The music, simple and strongly melodious” – Paul Lewenstein, Morning Star
“Strong on lyrics and melody” – Stephany Buckler, Lewisham Mercury
Spangleguts
Music, songs and soundscape
London Bubble Theatre (2007)
A fairly scary fairy tale. Spangleguts, a girl in search of a name. Written and directed by Jonathan Petherbridge.
Reviews:
“Achieves the right mix of magic and humour… Two hours that both nourish and entertain.” – Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
“Infectiously amusing songs.” – David Gavan, South London Press
The Phantom Sausage
Songs and music
New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich
Book & lyrics by Bob Eaton.
Directed by Bob Eaton.
Dinosaur Dreams
Songs and music
Production: Unicorn Theatre, London
Written by: Bob Eaton, based on Hiawyn Oram’s ‘A Boy Wants a Dinosaur’
Directed by: Richard Williams.
Nominated for the Writers’ Guild Award for Best Play for Young People
Pantomimes
Aladdin
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry.
Book & lyrics by Sayan Kent & Bob Eaton.
Dick Whittington
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
Book & lyrics by Sayan Kent & Bob Eaton.
Mother Goose
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
Book & lyrics by Sayan Kent & Bob Eaton.
Cinderella
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry (1997) & Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury (1998)
Book by Iain Laughlan & Will Brenton.
Lyrics by Bob Eaton.
Review:
“Compelling songs from Bob Eaton & Sayan Kent” – Leicester Mercury
Songs
The Hot Doris Band
Feminist alternative, cabaret group, performing for over four years. National Venues & BBC Radio 2 and BBC 1, Bob Says Opportunity Knocks.