‘The Big Smoke’, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, 12th MayMulti award-winning Edinburgh Fringe favourites, Theatre Ad Infinitum, bring their extraordinary production, The Big Smoke, to Aberystwyth Arts Centre on 12 May. Inspired by the lives and works of Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath and American poet Anne Sexton, The Big Smoke is a one-woman show performed by Canadian actor Amy Nostbakken and directed by Nir Paldi. An original and unforgettable piece of theatre, The Big Smoke is by turns dramatic, amusing, poignant and, ultimately, tragic. Sung a cappella throughout, the story revolves around brilliant young artist Nathalie and the – often very funny – characters she meets along the way: brash Americans, pompous socialites, patronizing gossips, pig-headed men... However, quick, witty and sincere, Nathalie’s honesty is no protection against a world that demands we ‘fit in’. Drily witty to the last, she spirals into madness and suicide. The words of this dark and powerful story are expressed entirely through the wonderfully versatile singing of Amy Nostbakken, who voices all the characters as well as Nathalie herself. Says, director Nir Paldi, “Traditionally, emotive subject matter in performance often employs music and song, from the Ancient Greek Chorus to musicals, operas and film. We’ve just taken this in a new direction.” And speaking of the music, Amy adds, “In terms of style, the show definitely has its roots in a jazzy early 1960s style. The costume also nods to the 1950’s, when women were women and men were men and each of our roles in society were keenly defined. Each character in the show presents a particular style, melody and voice quality - Peggy Lee, the Beatles the Chordettes’ hits of the 1950s… In order to reflect her mood, Nathalie herself jumps from jazz to pop, Bjork to blues, 60’s folk to 90’s rock and reggae, all blended into a seamless whole. My musical inspirations? Joni Mitchel, Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Judy Garland, Bob Marley, Billie Holiday… You might call it a cabaret type approach, but it is pure storytelling. The play just happens to use music as its means of expression.” Lecoq trained, the company has won plaudits and awards at the Edinburgh Festival and elsewhere, leading the Guardian newspaper to declare recently that “Theatre Ad Infinitum have moved to the front of the pack”. The Big Smoke fuses different theatrical styles to create a play which - poetical, comical, intense and disturbing - nevertheless tells a story we all can relate to. Devised by one of the most exciting young theatre companies of recent years, this is an exquisite performance which no theatre fan will want to miss. The Big Smoke comes to Aberystwyth Arts Centre on 12 May. The performance begins at 7.45pm. Tickets cost £8.00 (£6.00 concs) and you can contact the box office on (01970) 62 32 32 or visit www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre. For more information about Theatre Ad Infinitum go to www.theatreadinfinitum.co.uk |
| Theatre Ad Infinitum web site: www.theatreadinfinitum.co.uk |
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Tuesday, May 3, 2011 |
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