ARCOLA OPERA: GRIMEBORN

Arcola Theatre Presents

Incest, religion, death, love, murder, jazz, folk, vice, Vampires…and a talking crocodile.


For two weeks the Arcola Theatre will ring out to the sounds of Bizet, Rousseau, Strauss and Haydn and the work of young composers such as Rick Beaudoin Nathan Williamson. Join us for a truly exciting first year of Arcola Opera.




Grimeborn calendar 2007 All shows 8pm (except Opening Concert) –tickets £10. (Exept Youth Opera – £1.00)


Sun 19 Aug Opening Concert
Mon 20 Aug Devil’s Drum, Arianna a Naxos, Universal Will to Self Destruct
Tues 21 Aug Vice, Dichterliebe, A Fountain Sealed
Wed 22 Aug Pierre, Persephone, Pygmalion, Flood
Fri 24 Aug Crocodile – Opening night. Cabaret and Vodka before the show!!
Sat 25 Aug 2pm Crocodile 8pm Crocodile
Mon 27 Aug Hey Jack
Tues 28 Aug Nosferatu
Wed 29 Aug Opera Cabaret
Thurs 30 Aug Visions of 7
Fri 31 Aug Tales of Hoffmann
Sat 1 Sept Tales of Hoffman
Sun 2 Sept Tales of Hoffman
Sun 2 Sept 2pm & 6pm Arcola Youth Theatre: Music Theatre – Studio 3

Opening Concert 7.45pm
A night of classic works. Arrive atArcola and be led to the opulent surroundings of St Barnabas Church for the first half before returning to Arcola for the grand finale. Food, wine and fine music for all.


Main Works:


The Crocodile
Will a doctor’s experiment be ruined? Will St. Petersburg society be amused? And will Ivan ever get out alive? The Crocodile is an exceptionally funny and innovative new work based on a short story by Dostoyevsky. A snappingly good night out. Composed by Llywelyn ap Myrddin.


Hey Jack
Marilyn Monroe, Lee Oswald, Mafioso and the death of a President… welcome to the untold story of Jack Ruby – one of history’s great enigmas. Composed by Sharon Nassauer, Lyrics by Jackson Lee and directed by Loveday Ingram.


Nosferatu
Hideously comic, beautifully violent. A bizarre tale of lust and passion against goodness and humanity. A vivid exhibition of intriguing music, delicate movement and powerful images. Adapted from Murnau’s 1922 silent film, Nosferatu is the most stunning incarnation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula legend.


Opera Cabaret
An evening of Opera Cabaret at Arcola. Classics with a twist. Sit back, relax… and expect the unexpected.


Tales of Hoffmann
Hoffmann: gifted poet, reckless libertine. His relationship with Stella, one of the world’s most beautiful (and famous) women, is on the brink of becoming a shambles. In a bar in Hackney, Hoffmann recounts drugfuelled stories of how he won – and lost – the three great loves of his life, all the while never quite sure where his illusions end and reality begins. Knives Out is proud to present this tale of a life lived on the edge. Film, theatre and a new adaptation of the score will collide together in this radical take on Offenbach’s famous ‘opera fantastique’. Fuck forever: this is a story for now.


Short Works:


Dichterliebe
One of the most dramatic and moving song cycles ever written. A young poet falls madly in love with a girl, but she eventually marries someone else. The poet recounts every phase of his “amour fou”: initial tenderness and bliss, then bitter disillusionment, rage, obsession, estrangement and eventual acceptance. Composed by Schumann, poetry by Heine.


Devils Drum
The Devil’s Drumis an old story beautifully told. Using puppetry and physical theatre we aim to bring a new clarity to Ed Hughes’ operatic re-working of The Soldier’s Tale. A simple tailor entranced by the music of a travelling band is seduced into sacrificing everything to become the music… a haunting tale of obsession and loss. Section of work presented by Metta Theatre.


Arianna a Naxos

Arianna a Naxos by Joseph Haydn Arianna has been dumped by her boy-friend. Left depressed and suicidal she fights her grief on her own. Will this experience destroy her or will she be cleansed and become a new, stronger person? Haydn’s cantata, based on the timeless Ariadne story, has inspired artists for thousands of years and still captivates audiences and performers today. Everyone, female and male alike, is an Arianna at some point in their life. Mezzo-soprano Sandra Porter and pianist Graeme McNaught are joined by director Tamara Stein to turn this piece into a contemporary mini-opera.

Visions of 7
7artists, 7 journeys, 7 year cycles, an amazing story of travellers without maps – conceived and composed by Joanna Foster, performed by ‘Anima’ with Javier Carmona on percussion.


Vice
A jazz opera based upon The Revenger’s Tragedy, by Cyril Tourneur. It translates into music the sardonic humour and savage irony of the original play, in which the precious moments of life on earth, meant to be used to secure salvation for eternity, are rioted in an orgy of lust, greed, and bloody revenge. Written by Jools Scott and Directed by Sue Curtis.


The Universal Will to Self-Destruct
The Universal Will to Self-Destruct deals with the main force behind the universe. This 20 minute extract will explore some of the techniques New Opera Hero uses to connect music, image and story. NOH and his group have descended onto London to rediscover opera for the 21st century.


Flood
An extended song-cycle with its tongue firmly in its cheek. It examines the theme of climate change through the eyes of the ancient Greek Gods and combines opera, film and voiceovers to re-tell the story of Noah for our times. Produced by Eclectic Opera. Confirmed soloists will be Peter Shipman and Kirsten Morrison. The piece is composed & written by Kirsten Morrison and Buffy Sharpe. Visuals by Franny Armstrong.


Pierre
Herman Melville’s novel Pierre with its provocative tale of incest and death has not been treated well by history. With its aching prose and powerful emotions it was perhaps always meant to be an opera. Adapted by composer Richard Beaudoin. Cast includes Joseph Kaiser (Kenneth Brannagh’s The Magic Flute), Conducted by Christopher Ward (assistant to Sir Simon Rattle), Directed by Andrew Steggall, and played by Constantine Finehouse (international pianist trained in Moscow and at Juilliard). This half hour performance is a thrilling opportunity to see the opening act of an opera in progress.


Persephone
With its themes of abduction, familial betrayal, divided loyalties, hard political bargaining, along with the contrast between pastoral innocence and the murderously poisoned environment of the underworld, the Persephone story is as potent today as it has ever been.


A Fountain Sealed
A young Anglican priest finds his faith, ministry and relationships undermined over his sympathy for a couple who are pursuing a relationship that the church cannot accept. By Nathan Williamson, Thomas Walton and James Methven.


Arcola Youth Theatre: Aida in Hackney – Studio 3
West Side Story meets Aida in Arcola Youth Theatre’s Summer Opera extravaganza. Composed and directed by Dominique Le Gindre.

Arcola Theatre Presents

‘A very hip party’ Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph