A NEW rap musical tells the story of "working-class people who live hand to mouth" in Bradford.

Led by rapper Ty Richards with a cast of local creatives and community members, Cashy Cs: The Musical is the first full-length production written and directed by Bradford-based poet and educator Kirsty Taylor, whose powerful performances blend hip-hop influences with a contemporary take on kitchen sink realism. Her spoken word poetry film BFD, released earlier this year, was a moving celebration of her "beloved Bratfud".

Cashy Cs: The Musical, described as "a new bassline anthem for Bradford", will be premiered in 2022. A new music video, to a track called Live Like This, offers a first look at the site-specific theatre piece. Released this week, the video was filmed in the BD4 area, which includes Holme Wood, East Bowling, Bierley and Westgate Hill, and is funded by Arts Council England, Bradford Council, Bradford 2025, Apples + Snakes and Jerwood Arts.

Said Kirsty: “For years Bradford has had a respected and prolific underground scene of rappers, MCs and beatmakers. The rappers capture and articulate real lives of Bradford people: the funny bits, hard bits, and everything in between, all delivered in the best 'Bratfud' tones. For me, it was the only way to bring to life the people and stories of the district.”

The track is the first song released from the musical, which puts working-class voices centre-stage. Set in a Bradford pawn-broker, featuring an original score of grime, bassline and rap music produced by local artists, Cashy Cs: The Musical will be an interactive, promenade performance show. Kirsty hopes it will be a "beautiful, heartbreaking look into a post-Brexit, post-pandemic world, where Universal Credits are stretched, university fees soar, and a Premier League footballer is doing more to campaign for food poverty than political parties".

Added Kirsty: “This story is inspired by the people who have to trade their kettles in temporarily and buy them back because they really need a fiver. It’s now more relevant than ever as one in five UK households have an income below the poverty line. People rely on reducing benefits, the communities around them and their wits to get by. I want everyone who sees it to feel moved by how people are forced to live, and I want to give people an opportunity to think differently and to act.”

Producer Rosie Freeman from Bradford arts company The Brick Box, said: “The strength of Kirsty's vision plus the team of brilliant people involved make this an exciting project to work on. Whilst the work is heartwarming and funny in parts, it's also deeply political and deadly serious. This is incredibly powerful contemporary storytelling through voices and experiences which need to be heard."

* To watch the video go to youtube.com/watch?v=Y7HVo7TgRPA