THE WILLING

THE WILLING

FULL-LENGTH STAGE MUSICAL

Original Libretto by Robert John Ford*

Music & Lyrics by Amy Engelhardt

Commissioned by Dunbar Hofmann Productions

A new musical based on the book "The Boy Who Would Be Shakespeare" by Doug Stewart, THE WILLING tells the true story of William-Henry Ireland, a teenage boy who - in an attempt to win the respect of his Shakespeare-obsessed father - perpetrates an audacious forgery scheme resulting in a whirlwind of consequences, all set against the backdrop of the London theatre scene in 1795. 

*Note: as of March 1, 2026, Robert John Ford has chosen not to continue as the librettist for this project, although he will continue to receive credit for writing the original libretto.  

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