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LIVE MUSIC AND THEATRE COMBINE IN AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FROM SHERMAN THEATRE’S ASSOCIATE ARTIST CONOR MITCHELL IN THE MOOT VIRGINITY OF CATHERINE OF ARAGON |
Sherman Theatre 24 – 28 JanPress Performance Tuesday 24 Jan, 8.00pm Created by the Sherman Theatre’s Associate Artist, Conor Mitchell, this production is a blend of theatre and music that immerses the audience in a love story about Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon; one of history’s most mis-remembered women. Pieced together like a live concept album, each scene created resembles a live music track combined with performance; a synergy of strings, piano, wind, the voice and action. The Moot Virginity of Catherine of Aragon, runs from 24 – 28 January at the Sherman Theatre. Based on the real life story of the Catherine of Aragon, the production explores themes of political turmoil in Europe, and gender identity, based around the story of the legality of Catherine’s virginity and her first wedding night with Henry VIII’s brother. Did they? Didn’t they? D Developed through an intense workshop period in 2015, the full production premieres at the Sherman Theatre and is the fulfilment of Mitchell’s concept, as writer, director and composer, of a 'uniformed vision' which he borrowed from Wagner. Audiences can sit, stand or even lie down to experience this immersive piece. The structure is based on a traditional ‘song-cycle’ where a number of songs would be created to be performed as part of a set. In this case there is no singing, but sections of recitation by the actress, underscored with the live music, as Conor Mitchell explains. “It uses song-cycle structure but no one actually sings; it's a re-approaching of form. The music is contemporary but not avant garde. It is gentle and uses strings, piano and wind. It's very much a duet between the musicians and the actor.” Mitchell set up The Belfast Ensemble as an emerging collective of internationally established, award-winning Belfast-based artists. Their vision is the eventual founding of a permanent music-theatre ensemble of world-class theatre and music makers in the city of Belfast – providing a legacy and a living wage. Mitchell himself is the recipient of the 2016, Arts Council Northern Ireland Major Individual Artist’s Award. The role of Catherine of Aragon is performed by the award-winning actress Abigail McGibbon, one of the founding members of The Belfast Ensemble. She received the Irish Times Theatre Award for best Supporting Actress 2015 for her role in Everything Between Us and also recently starred in the ground breaking St Joan at the newly rebuilt Lyric Theatre, Belfast. She performed in the co-production between Sherman Theatre and Òran Mór in A Play, A Pie and A Pint; Mr and Mrs. Laughton back in spring 2016 to great critical reviews and audience response. The production runs from 24 – 28 January in the studio at the Sherman Theatre. Tickets are £15 with £2 off for concessions, half-price for under 25s and group discounts available. Please go to shermantheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 029 2064 6900. MADE IN BELFAST | BROUGHT BEYOND: Engaging with the wider European contemporary music / theatre / design scenes through festival touring, commissioning and drawing upon current trends in writing and performance. The Belfast Ensemble will have no ‘home’: the city is our stage. Our vision: Art in the hands of Artists. ABIGAIL MCGIBBON - PERFORMER Winner of the Irish Time Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actor, 2015, Abigail McGibbon is one the country’s busiest actors. Her stage work encompasses both the classic and the new. Recent credits include the ground breaking St Joan at the newly rebuilt Lyric Theatre, Belfast and the award-winning premieres of David Ireland’s Everything Between Us and Can’t Forget About You. Her longtime collaboration with Sherman’s Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan has led to productions in Ireland, Scotland and Wales over the previous decade. Abigail is a founder member the Belfast Ensemble and calls Belfast her home. CONOR MITCHELL - COMPOSER/WRITER/DIRECTOR Conor Mitchell is a composer and musical-dramatist from Northern Ireland. He is the recipient of the 2016, Arts Council Northern Ireland Major Individual Artist’s Award and is currently working on his body of symphonic work and Concertino for Flute. Recent scores include his Concerto for Flute and Winds, his Cultural Olympiad opera Our Day (NI Opera), the children’s opera The Musician (national tour), the choral work Shadowtime (Royal Festival Hall), Requiem for the Disappeared (Spark Opera), the sinfonietta 20: Ceasefire, and his Queer Cabaret Songs in celebration of Britten's 100th birthday (Aldeburgh Music). He and Mark Ravenhill’s award winning song cycle Ten Plagues (Royal Court, Traverse Theatre) was recently revived at Wilton’s Music Hall, London, performed again by Marc Almond. A reworking of his 2003 musical-theatre piece Group! has just premiered in Ireland, directed by the composer. Mitchell is currently artist-in-residence at the MAC, Belfast, associate artist of the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff and artistic director of the new music-theatre collective The Belfast Ensemble. Awards include Best Score (New York Musical Theatre Festival), the Stiles and Drewe Song Writers Award, The Arts Foundation Fellowship Award For Composition, awarded by Sir Richard Eyre and two Fringe Firsts. Mitchell is the founder of the new performative music group, The Belfast Ensemble. |
| Sherman Theatre web site: www.shermantheatre.co.uk |
| Kate Guelke e-mail: mailto:katelilianguelke@gmail.com |
Thursday, January 19, 2017 |
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