Magical musical debut: Vanessa Donnelly's heart touches Gifhorn's audience!

Magical musical debut: Vanessa Donnelly's heart touches Gifhorn's audience!

On November 25, 2025, the city of Gifhorn experienced a special evening when Vanessa Donnelly premiered her first musical entitled “For the Light of the Night” in the town hall. The talented film composer and cabaret artist, who is known not only in Germany but also internationally, developed the musical with a lot of commitment and creativity during her training in London. Her inspiration comes from a touching story by James Coleman that explores the fears and loss of little Lucy as she mourns her late mother.

The premiere was a true spectacle! Over a hundred choir members and amateur actors, supported by four professional musical stars - Rafael Albert, Elena Otten, Liza Hinske and Sebastian Smulders - brought the story to the stage. Around 150 choir singers and children from the Gifhorn Wagner Dance School took part in the performance. The great sound was accompanied by a Berlin string quartet, Eklipse.

Emotional topics on stage

Donelly's piece touches on themes of loss and comfort and is aimed at a young audience. The performance was rewarded with minutes of applause, which shows that the audience was impressed. The simple stage set - consisting of Lucy's bed, cuddly toys and a small lamp - supported the emotional intensity of the musical. Joyce Diedrich, the director, traveled from Berlin specifically for this project to bring Donelly's vision to life.

Vanessa Donelly, who became known in the music world through her film music for “THE ANGEL IN THE WALL” and her collaborations with renowned composers such as Alexandre Desplat and Danny Elfman, shows another facet of her artistic work with this musical. In 2017 she founded her own recording studio, DONELLY RECORDS, and has continued to develop ever since. Staying true to her musical roots, she is also a founding member of the satirical cabaret band PASSIVATTRAKTIV, which won the title “ACT OF THE YEAR” in 2023.

A look into the future

But that's not enough! Donelly is already working on a new musical called “1000 Tales,” which will premiere in November 2025 and was also written by James Coleman. Donelly is also a member of the jury for the German Film Music Prize and gives lectures on the compatibility of family and career in the art sector.

The combination of her passion for music and the pursuit of creative solutions is also evident in her work on various TV series and entry into the gaming industry with “GHOST HAUNTING”. Her artistic expertise is also given great attention in the field of film, as her awards at international film festivals show.

Donelly has a real feel for the audience's emotions and the expressiveness of the music. With her great compositions and her commitment, she shows that she has a really good knack for what she does. The audience in Gifhorn will certainly not forget this evening so quickly!

Further information about Vanessa Donelly and her artistic projects can be found on her website donellymusic.com as well as on NDR and Frankwriter.