I had the great good fortune to work with Sarah on my BBC Radio 4 production of Charles Dickens’ ghost story The Signalman. Her music was quite wonderful in its range: its ability to conjure period (and to subvert it when needed); to quickly establish and change mood and atmosphere; to tell and develop story; to be subtle when needed, as well as bold and intelligent; to be always melodic, distinctive and memorable; and more besides. Sarah is fabulously talented, and great to collaborate with. I recommend her highly.

Andy Jordan, theatre director and producer, radio drama director

I worked with Sarah on various outdoor settings, from a largescale outdoor spectacle that featured a 22ft tall mechanical puppet baby and 100-strong cast, to a walkabout nonverbal street show. Her musical style is versatile, sophisticated and always complimentary to the artistic vision.
It is a pleasure to collaborate with Sarah. Apart from being very organized and an excellent communicator, Sarah commits to equal opportunities and to promoting an environment of mutual respect within the team. Sarah has built a great level of trust and rapport with our professional artists with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism.

Joyce Lee, Artistic Director of Mind The Gap Theatre

I commissioned Sarah Llewellyn, talented composer, founder and Artistic Director of Tonal to bring her inspiring musical magic to my homage to the vivid visual world of Fellini and Hollywood in 1960s Rome. Sarah has created an engaging and timeless soundtrack perfectly devised and crafted for the film’s theme.

Josephine Halbert, Director at Told in Pictures

Sarah is a remarkable composer. An imaginative, vibrant and innovative response to Tolstoy’s masterpiece, War and Peace, re-imagined for Giffords’ Circus, Sarah composed a score which is a rich and deeply felt evocation of the Russian spirit in peace and war. Her musical vision creates an exquisite and powerful presence, daring, perceptive & inventive.

Irina Brown Writer & Director

Sarah is a terrific collaborator. She responded to Oscar & Jim instinctively and created a beautiful and unique suite for the film, helping us fit it together with the pictures. She’s fun to work with – and she’s fast.

Iain Weatherby, Film Writer and Director

I have been fortunate enough to work with Sarah on a couple of projects with her as composer and musical director. She is an extraordinary collaborator - enhancing the creative force of the pieces and holding the performers in passion, rigour and care. Her work is distinctive, layered and cohesive - she is able to grow a language out of the piece that speaks to its themes and underpins the dramaturgical journey of the play. Through her practice she is also very successful at building a strong unity in the ensemble and supporting the performers to transcend the narrative, elevating the theatricality of the story.
I am counting the days till we can collaborate again and couldn’t recommend her highly enough to others.

Sophie Dillon Moniram, Director

I have worked with a number of extremely talented composers, few of whom have understood the peculiarities of composing for live theatre as well as Sarah. She is a talented musician and a perceptive, problem solving collaborator who really ‘gets it. Her work on The Scarlet Pimpernel, A Tale of Two Cities, Much Ado , Caravan, and for the The Fall of Man, has shown many different stylistic gear changes, and her underscoring beautifully supports the images onstage, sometimes cleverly bringing unexpected melodic components to the work which throw the content into stark relief. She is infinitely creative and a wonderful colleague

Jonathan Holloway, Writer & Director

I’ve worked with Sarah on two highly sensitive projects, both involving the interviews of real women sharing highly charged emotional experiences. In both cases Sarah was able to draw together a narrative that illuminated the unique, rich voices of these women and transformed them from antidote into art. Her sound scapes both elevate precious material and present it to audiences in a way that bridges time and difference, bringing listener and content together in sympathy, intelligence and passion.
A remarkable talent

Rebecca Morden, Artistic Director Scary Little Girls

Sarah’s original live music and unique compositions, energy, and participation contributed enormously to the success of all the shows she helped create. Personally, her music was a major part of why I enjoyed working at Giffords for the 2 shows I directed/choreographed. Her talent and creativity are right up there in my happiest memories.

Molly Molloy - Director & Choreographer