Playwright & Librettist
Original plays, musicals and librettos spanning three decades - from Vienna to Edinburgh, Amsterdam to London.
The Portfolio
From the concert halls of Vienna to the stages of London and the Edinburgh Fringe, Mark Janicello has built a body of theatrical work that spans jukebox musicals, original scores, children's television and solo drama.
Each work carries a distinct voice - rooted in character, shaped by collaboration, and driven by a belief that theatre should move people as much as it entertains them.
Chronological
Theater AKzent, Vienna
My first work for the stage was a highly-choreographed mix of operatic arias, Broadway hits, original compositions and songs made famous by Elvis Presley. The book contained personal anecdotes and original dramatic monologues. The show celebrated its world premiere in September 1998 in Vienna's Theater AKzent.
Theater AKzent, Vienna - October 7, 1999
I wrote the script and together with Ole Boskov did the orchestrations for this jukebox musical celebrating the 40th anniversary of Lanza's death. The score contained popular Italian Folk Songs, well-known operatic arias and a number of Lanza's hit songs.
Cabaret Stadnikow, Vienna (2001) / Het Werkteater, Amsterdam (2004)
My first completely original musical, with music by Hungarian composer Bela Fischer. I wrote the book and was co-lyricist with Rolf Rettburg. Charlie celebrated its world premiere in a German-language version in March 2001. In 2004, an English-language version was produced in Amsterdam with additional songs by Kai Peterson.
Theater AKzent, Vienna (2002) and Deutsches Theater Munich (2003)
A biographical musical about the King of Rock n’ Roll’s life with a book by Mark Janicello, and music that was comprised of 50% newly-composed songs from various composers (with Mark Janicello as lyricist), and 50% Elvis Hits. Following its premieres in Vienna and Munich, this musical toured Germany, Switzerland and Austria during 2004.
Komödie im Bayerischen Hof, Munich - Commissioned
Commissioned by the Komödie im Bayerischen Hof Theater in Munich to write a new stage production about the life of legendary tenor Enrico Caruso. Like Be My Love, this was a jukebox musical combining popular songs from the turn of the century with Italian Folksongs and operatic arias associated with Caruso. Unfortunately, due to the banking and mortgage crisis that year, the theatre lost its funding and this production never happened.
Originally for schools - now in TV pre-production
An original 60-minute children's musical written with Swedish actor/musician Josef Torner (book and lyrics by me, music by Torner). Originally conceived as a stage production for schools, Cloud 9 is now in pre-production to be made into a 60-minute animated musical for television.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival - August 4, 2023
Commissioned in Spring 2022, this 75-minute monologue was written for a visually-impaired actor. The play tells the story of Finley Whitmore, whose diagnosis of Retinitis pigmentosa - a congenital eye disorder - wreaks havoc on his professional and personal life. The Edinburgh production, which I also directed, starred Milo Mooney, a visually-impaired actor/comedian as Finley.
Wonderville, London - June 3-16, 2024
With music by Ulf Weidmann and my lyrics, The Finellis Musical celebrated its World Premiere at Wonderville in London. The next production of this show will be announced shortly.
The Approach
Every script begins with a question: what does this story need to say, and who needs to hear it? Whether writing a jukebox musical celebrating a legendary tenor or a raw solo monologue for a visually-impaired actor, the craft demands the same discipline - character first, then structure, then language.
Mark has worked across languages (English, German), formats (stage, television, schools), and collaborators from Sweden to Hungary to the Netherlands - bringing each project to a world premiere with a clear theatrical vision.
His work as a librettist draws on his background as a performer - he writes for the voice, the body, and the moment of live theatre.
Work Together
Whether you're a producer looking for a new script, a theatre company seeking a librettist for a musical adaptation, or a director with an idea that needs shaping into a stage work - Mark is open to the conversation.
His experience spans world premieres in multiple countries, multilingual productions, and work with both established theatres and fringe festivals.
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