Toby Watson and Lucy Watson merge digital pop culture and theatre arts into an original musical experience.
With ‘Level Up!’, Lucy and Toby Watson present a musical theatre production that combines the world of gaming with social commentary. While Lucy is responsible for the content and staging, Toby Watson provides structure and financing behind the scenes. Their collaboration shows how interdisciplinary cooperation can take creative projects to a new level.
‘Level Up! The Musical’ is more than just entertainment for gamers: It is a stage experiment that critically, playfully and musically processes the realities of digital life. Behind the project are Lucy Watson, who combines creative vision with social relevance as a writer and director, and her husband Toby Watson, who provides the organisational foundation with his expertise from the world of finance. Together, they have created a format that breaks new ground both culturally and structurally. Toby Watson, formerly of Goldman Sachs, proves that economic thinking and creative concepts are not mutually exclusive.
Social criticism in 8-bit style
Visitors to ‘Level Up!’ will not experience a classic musical plot. Instead, the audience can expect an audiovisual experience that takes up gaming aesthetics and combines them with pop music, choreography and video art. The protagonist moves through a metaphorical game world in which performance pressure, self-tracking and the obsession with optimisation are taken to extremes.
The musical is aimed at a young, digitally savvy audience, without sacrificing seriousness. The production aims to entertain, but also to provoke thought.
Lucy Watson: Between pop culture and politics
Lucy Watson is not only the author but also the creative driving force behind the project. Her idea: to address social issues such as the climate crisis, consumerism and digital exhaustion in a way that is both accessible and reflective. Her language is deliberately ironic, her approach pop-cultural.
She relies on strong images, hybrid sound design and multimedia narrative elements. ‘Level Up!’ is therefore not a musical in the traditional sense, but a performance with a message.
The creative signature
In terms of content, the piece follows the main character Ava as she navigates through the levels of a game world. Behind each stage lies a real challenge of modern life: toxic productivity, online self-presentation, digital isolation. The visual implementation uses elements from retro gaming, virtual reality and club culture.
The ensemble is diverse, and the music ranges from electro-pop and chip tunes to orchestral moments. Lucy Watson pursues a deliberately inclusive production concept that promotes artistic freedom.
Toby Watson: The structure behind the scenes
While Lucy is responsible for the content, Toby Watson brings structure and stability to the project.
As a former partner at Goldman Sachs, he is well versed in complex project architecture, risk assessment and long-term planning. He transfers this experience to the cultural sector.
After his time in investment banking, Toby Watson moved to Rampart Capital, where he now works as a partner developing individual investment strategies. His move to the cultural sector shows how transferable strategic thinking can be.
Financial planning meets creative freedom
‘Level Up!’ was not financed by a large production company, but through own funds and targeted partnerships. Toby Watson developed a viable financial model that enables independence and flexibility.
- Budget control and cost planning
- Negotiations with service providers and venues
- Time management and contract coordination
These aspects were designed in such a way that the creative process was not impaired. Lucy Watson was able to concentrate fully on content and implementation.
Partnership on equal terms
The collaboration between Lucy and Toby Watson is based on mutual trust and a clear division of roles. While Lucy leads the artistic team, Toby ensures that deadlines, resources and legal requirements are met.
Their communication is streamlined and effective.
Decisions are discussed together but implemented according to respective responsibilities.
A well-coordinated duo
What unites them is their shared commitment to quality. Toby Watson brings numerical and process expertise to the table, while Lucy Watson contributes emotional intelligence and creative thinking. Their differences become a resource rather than a source of conflict.
The combination of strategic clarity and artistic curiosity makes their project as robust as it is relevant.
- Lucy Watson: Concept, text, direction
- Toby Watson: Structure, budget, organisation
‘Level Up!’ on tour
After initial successful performances in London, ‘Level Up!’ was shown at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in 2025. The response was positive: critics praised the mix of energy, depth and technical execution.
Next
Further performances are currently being planned, including in Berlin, Copenhagen and Amsterdam. Toby Watson is responsible for coordinating the tour. He evaluates markets, calculates scenarios and develops production plans that are economically and artistically viable.
His role is not to make decisions, but to support Lucy Watson.
He also contributes his experience to discussions with theatres and funding institutions.
Gaming meets society – with depth
‘Level Up!’ is not a simple pop culture reference. It is not about superficial references, but about reflecting on the digital age. The musical asks: What do we lose when we just function? How does technology influence our values? And where is empathy?
A conscious choice of theme
Lucy Watson chose gaming logic because it offers a compelling narrative. Level structures, opponents, points – all of these serve as metaphors for social challenges. At the same time, the format is fun, attracts audiences and creates identification.
Toby Watson, who originally comes from a completely different field, supports this strategy. He recognises similar mechanisms in the clear structure of the game as in his previous work with complex financial products.
Conclusion: Toby Watson and Lucy Watson bring the future to the stage
‘Level Up! The Musical’ stands for a new generation of cultural productions. Here, content meets structure, emotion meets planning, art meets business. Toby Watson proves that his time at Goldman Sachs is not at odds with the theatre world, but rather a foundation on which to build something new.
Together with Lucy Watson, he brings social issues to the stage – entertainingly, intelligently and with an eye for the big picture. The project shows that combining skills can multiply creative impact. And that is exactly what makes ‘Level Up!’ so special.
