03 Nov All My Heart: a new musical about organ donation and the World Transplant Games
A new musical about organ donation – and about why the World Transplant Games matter so much to recipients, donors and donor families – has taken its first steps towards the stage.
All My Heart is the work of composer and creative director Vicky Arlidge, who first had the idea in 2023. She decided that a verbatim piece, using the real words of real people, would be the most powerful way to tell the story.
Built from our community’s own words
Since then, Vicky has interviewed many of the athletes, donors and donor family members who regularly take part in the Games. All of them are keen to promote the benefits of organ donation and have been very supportive of the project.
In 2025, Vicky visited the British Transplant Games in Oxford and the World Transplant Games in Dresden, where she saw first hand the impact the Games have on recipients and donors alike.
From script to stage
In the last week of October 2026, Chichester Drama College workshopped the material Vicky has written and collated so far, in a week of rehearsals with second- and third-year drama students. The week was set to culminate in a “scratch” performance – a script-in-hand reading, without costumes, choreography or set – on the evening of 31 October at the Bishop Otter Campus of the University of Chichester.
Simple as it is, a scratch performance is an important milestone: the first time the musical moves from script to stage and comes to life. Several of the people Vicky interviewed were expected to attend, and the performance was due to be filmed.
It takes years to get a musical off the ground, and All My Heart is still at the beginning of its journey.
“My hope is that this musical could in a small way help promote organ donation and the World Transplant Games… and maybe even potentially save lives!” – Vicky Arlidge
About Vicky Arlidge
Vicky is a musician and composer whose albums for children have had close to 2 billion streams worldwide. She has been composing for TV and theatre for over 30 years and has BAFTA- and EMMY-nominated credits to her name.
Follow Vicky’s work at vickyarlidge.com.
With thanks to Lisa Wilson for introducing the project to the WTGF.