Alan Doyle considers himself 鈥渢he rookie鈥 when it comes to musical theatre.
Yet, since 2022, his name and face have graced promotional posters for 鈥淭ell Tale Harbour,鈥 a Canadian musical he co-wrote and stars in.
鈥淭his is my first time doing musical theatre or theatre of any kind,鈥 Doyle said. 鈥淚鈥檓 the guy who knows the least about it.鈥
Before the pandemic, co-writers Bob Foster and Adam Brazier reached out to Doyle to pen some songs for the show. During the process, Doyle recruited his next-door neighbour, writer Edward Riche, to join the team.
The group worked throughout the pandemic to get the show polished for its world premiere at the Charlottetown Festival in 2022, where it returned with additional songs this past summer. The reworked musical is now running at Toronto鈥檚 Royal Alexandra Theatre.聽
The meticulous performing techniques of musical theatre are new to Doyle. Years of concerts聽as a founding member and frontman of Canadian folk band Great Big Sea didn鈥檛 exactly prepare him for precisely choreographed dance scenes.
However, 鈥淭ell Tale Harbour鈥濃檚 story is somewhat similar to one of his own.
Alan Doyle, left, in the musical he co-wrote, “Tell Tale Harbour.”聽
Mirvish ProductionsHis character, the Doyle-described charming and irresistible Frank Kavanaugh, is a 鈥渟taunch defender of home.鈥 He will stop at nothing to bring a frozen french fry factory to his Atlantic Canada harbour village. The caveat? The town requires a full-time resident doctor to keep the factory. To save their community and economy, Frank leads a plan to charm the visiting English doctor into staying permanently.
Based on the 2013 Canadian film 鈥淭he Grand Seduction,鈥 the story has echoes of Doyle鈥檚 hometown of Petty Harbour, N.L. Doyle was in his 20s 鈥 鈥渟till a kid, in retrospect鈥 鈥 during the 1992 cod moratorium, which gutted the province鈥檚 fishing economy and wiped out more than 30,000 jobs.
Years later, Doyle still recalls the optimism that overtook his community at the time.
鈥淭hey weren鈥檛 going to let the stroke of a government pen shut down the town where their great-grandparents were buried and they fought like dogs to save it,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 was surrounded by energy similar to Frank鈥檚, who rallies the troops to fight the good fight and save the town they love so much.鈥
鈥淭ell Tale Harbour鈥 isn鈥檛 Canada鈥檚 first venture into musicals about maritime communities rallying together.
鈥淐ome From Away,鈥 Canadian theatre鈥檚 runaway success, tells the story of Gander, N.L., townsfolk who welcomed thousands of stranded passengers into their homes and community in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Alan Doyle, the former frontman of the rock band Great Big Sea has co-written and is starring in the new Canadian musical “Tell Tale Harbour” at Mirvish.聽
Michelle Mengsu Chang/海角社区官网StarFoster, previously 鈥淐ome From Away鈥濃檚 music director, said he isn鈥檛 bothered by the expected comparison between the two shows. 鈥淭o think that we鈥檙e in the same league as 鈥楥ome From Away鈥 is awesome.鈥
Other than being a show he loves, 鈥淐ome From Away鈥 showed the world that a musical based in Atlantic Canada can succeed, Doyle said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 just as legit now as having music from Manhattan, Chicago, London or Paris. That鈥檚 one sort of obstacle that we don鈥檛 have to jump over. It鈥檚 already been paved, thanks to 鈥楥ome From Away.鈥欌
Doyle鈥檚 inherent connection to Atlantic Canada added a layer of authenticity to 鈥淭ell Tale Harbour,鈥 according to Foster.
鈥淚 could come up with a jig and it would sort of sound like a British guy who鈥檚 been living in Canada writing a jig, rather than someone who grew up with that stuff,鈥 Foster said. 鈥淎lan was very quick to know when something was authentic or not.鈥
Writing the songs 鈥 which Foster describes as a mix of East Coast melodies for the townsfolk and British-feeling tunes for the Englishman doctor 鈥 came naturally to Doyle. After all, he says, generations of rural Newfoundlanders who grew up without newspapers and libraries did nothing but write songs and stories.
Alan Doyle pictured on the Ward’s Island ferry.聽
Michelle Mengsu Chang/海角社区官网StarOn the other hand, playing the lead in a musical was unfamiliar ground. In fact, Doyle finds that some habits he picked up from years as a concert musician are harmful when it comes to theatre.
鈥淵ou get a laugh in musical theatre and you have to move on. You have to move on or you鈥檙e going to f—k up everybody else,鈥 he explained. 鈥淲hen the lights come up, you have to surrender yourself to the play.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a terrifying thing to do.鈥
For years, Doyle鈥檚 pre-concert ritual was to catch a glimpse of the crowd from backstage and assess their vibe on a particular night. He would then adjust his performance accordingly. But when it comes to channelling Frank, his mind is filled with remembering routines and 鈥渟omething that鈥檚 choreographed to the 16th note.鈥
Being surrounded by an experienced cast has helped tremendously, he said.
Alison Woolridge, for example, has worked in theatres across Canada for more than 40 years. She has played Frank鈥檚 wife, Barbara, since 鈥淭ell Tale Harbour鈥濃檚 2022 premiere and continues in the role at the Royal Alexandra.
鈥淲hen I first stepped onstage in a rehearsal room with Alan, he didn鈥檛 know stage left, stage right, upstage or downstage,鈥 she said, recalling that Doyle would initially gravitate toward the centre front of the stage as if he was about to kick off a concert.
Woolridge notes that Doyle quickly picked up the intricacies of theatre performance 鈥 but he didn鈥檛 get there without putting in some work.
Alan Doyle, the former frontman of the folk-rock band Great Big Sea, has co-written and is starring in the new Canadian musical “Tell Tale Harbour” at Mirvish.聽
Michelle Mengsu Chang/海角社区官网Star鈥淗e鈥檚 been watching things. Watching theatre, actors, films and how actors work, and he鈥檚 literally incorporating it,鈥 she said. 鈥淔or somebody to engage on this level with his lack of experience in this one area is amazing.
鈥淗e has great, great instinct.鈥
Despite how Atlantic Canadian audiences have really loved 鈥淭ell Tale Harbour鈥 over the years, taking on the same role in 海角社区官网still promised some uneasiness, Doyle said.
鈥淚鈥檓 nervous about it, but in the best way. We鈥檝e just worked so hard on it for so long that we hope people like it all the time.”
Doyle has hopes to bring the show to 鈥減laces (he) never would have imagined,鈥 though he isn鈥檛 aware of any solid plans beyond the 海角社区官网run.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 exciting, right, to take a shot at being on one of the biggest stages in the world with your little story that you wrote,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut first things first, we need to go to the mighty Royal Alex in 海角社区官网and make sure everyone has 50 or 60 great nights out this fall.鈥
“Tell Tale Harbour” runs until Nov. 2 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King St. W. Visit or call聽1-800-461-3333 for tickets and more information.
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