THERE may be thousands of miles of ocean between them, but the composers creating Oxford’s very first musical are still managing to make some waves.

Oxford composer Beatrix ‘Trix’ Forbes and American lyricist Jeff Fraga are in charge of creating the words and music for Believing: An Oxford Adventure, a show about Oxford, starring Oxfordshire people, which is due to make its debut at Oxford Town Hall from July to August next year.

Believing is the brainchild of Tracey Spokes, founder of The 13th theatre Company and she is confident that with Jeff and Trix’s help, the show will go all the way to the London stage.

She explained: “They may have the Atlantic between them but Trix and Jeff are creating something really amazing together. Jeff is an amazing lyricist, his work is full of passion and emotion and Trix’s music really captures the spirit of what we are trying to achieve.”

Mr Fraga, 55, was recruited into the production after Tracey advertised on the social media site Twitter. He lives on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, and revealed he is using a mix of technology and some nifty jiggling of time differences to ‘create’ alongside Trix Forbes.

He explained: “Trix will send me music for a song she’s written or I’ll send her lyrics for a song I’ve written. Then I’ll write lyrics for the music she sends or she’ll write music for the lyrics I send. It’s a little unconventional, but it’s working really well so far. The technology helps – Trix can record a song and email it to me as a digital file.”

Trix, from Headington, said: “When I am ready for bed Jeff is having his lunch!

“But our work together is going great. We haven’t fallen out yet.

“In fact, we have completed four songs, including the opening number, which I can tell you is a big Hollywood-style song with chorus girls and dancing.”

Tracey hopes the Oxford musical will become an annual attraction for the summer tourist season and will appear at the Edinburgh Festival in 2013 before going on a nationwide tour.

The plot is being mostly kept under wraps as the company begins production work with youngsters from Talent Oxford, the talent competition for the city’s schools.

In September, the production will also set up its own YouTube site for would-be stars to submit audition tapes.

Tracey said: “We hope to pick out some real talent from those videos. Then we will have an open audition in Oxford.”

She continued: “The show’s central character will be a girl called Celia who comes to Oxford to find her destiny.

“Oxford will be the background for all the action and some of Oxford’s famous landmarks will take centre stage.”

A share of the profits from the musical will go to county learning difficulties charity My Life My Choice and to Oxsrad, the charity which offers sports, recreational and leisure activities at its Court Place Farm base in Marsh Lane, Marston.

esimmonds@oxfordmail.co.uk l Tracey is looking for local companies interested in sponsoring the show. Email: 13theatrecompany@fsmail.ne