Darren is a New Zealand born composer and lyricist working in the theatre in the UK. Since beginning his professional career in 2012, he has been commissioned to write music and lyrics for several national touring shows and his work has been heard in productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company, in London's West End, Off West End, Off-Broadway and the Royal National Theatre amongst many others. Following his days as an Otago University student in NZ performing in countless musicals and plays, Darren left NZ for the UK to pursue a career as a songwriter in London town. Following several years on the singer/songwriter circuit and with his band Columbus Giant, Darren began to write music &amp; lyrics for the theatre. He is the inaugural recipient of the Music Theatre International Stiles &amp; Drewe Mentorship Award and his songs have appeared as finalist in the Stiles &amp; Drewe Best New Song Competition on three separate occasions, winning runner-up in 2015. He has been a finalist in the Iris Theatre XMas Factor Awards for the past three years, winning the Iris Theatre Panel Award in 2014, The Audience Runner Up Prize in 2015 and The Audience Award in 2016. His musicals have been licensed in the USA and Australia, his work was selected for the national BEAM Showcase in London. His most recent musical The Wicker Husband has been selected to be presented at the most prestigious musical theatre festival in the world, NAMT in New York. <br>