| Gloria Days by marc rees |
| First presented in 2007 by Marc Rees / R.I.P.E (Rees International Projects Enterprise) |
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synopsis: The flamboyant excesses associated with the relatively short life of Henry Cyril Paget, 5th Marquis of Anglesey, are the stuff of legend (or at least deserve to be). He squandered his inheritance on a lavish social life and accumulated massive debts. Regarded as the "black sheep" of the family, he was famed for his ‘Butterfly Dance’, inspired by the Follies Berger pioneer Loie Fuller that earned him the sobriquet ‘the Dancing marquis’. His prodigious spending on jewellery and theatrical costumes eventually bankrupted the family dynasty, but his life story is set to be re-examined through a new innovative dance production. Gloria Days is a multidisciplinary solo work performed by the award-winning Welsh artist Marc Rees and produced by Cardiff-based mes:a International Performance Collective. The production premiers at Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea 18-19 October as part of the Swansea Festival and then transfers to Diversions Dance House, Cardiff presented by Wales Millennium Centre, 24-27 October. Gloria Days is supported by a world-class creative team, including opera designer, John Macfarlane, who has designed a unique headdress for the production (made at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden). The performance seeks through dance to reconstruct this remarkable flamboyant character and reveal the complex and rather tragic figure that lay beneath all the glitz, glamour and frivolity. At the height of his extravagance it is reported he squandered £500,000 on jewels and outfits alone, the equivalent amount today would be 35 million pounds! One example of his superabundance saw him convert the family chapel into a theatre modelled on Sarah Bernhardt's and mounted a series of spectacular productions with a professional company for his friends, guests and the local community (this during the Welsh religious revival!). He eventually died penniless in 1905, aged 29, leaving his family to pick up the pieces and his enormous debts. A short film, ‘The Dancing Marquis Diaries’ which forms an integral part of the project has also been shortlisted for the prestigious Iris Prize, the International Gay and Lesbian Short Film Prize, valued at £25,000. The winner of the inaugural prize, who will be invited to make their next short film in the UK, will be announced during a three day festival held in Cardiff from October 4th. |
There is 1 review of Marc Rees / R.I.P.E (Rees International Projects Enterprise)'s Gloria Days in our database:
| A superlative production : quality from first to last | |
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Gloria Days
by marc rees
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[print] |
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venue Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea |
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October 26, 2007 |
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| Even the most ardent devotees of contemporary dance will, at some time or another, have encountered what I like to call the "Emperor's New Clothes" syndrome - the point at which a seemingly meaningful piece of work suddenly falters and strays into the realms of self-parody. Even the most well-intentioned of performers and choreographers can fall into this trap, and it is a consummate artist indeed who not only avoids such pitfalls completely but who possesses exactly the right combination of charisma, technical ability, strength of vision and sheer conviction to hold an audience in the palm of his hand throughout a hugely demanding solo performance, never once giving them cause to doubt his sincerity or to feel that they have been duped. Marc Rees is just such an artist, and this superlative production - revolving around Henry Cyril Paget, the fifth Marquis of Anglesey - has to rank as one of the most persuasive and utterly magical pieces of contemporary dance to have premiered at this venue for some time. Rees is clearly fascinated by the story of this recklessly profligate character, who - long before the likes of Michael Jackson and the Beckhams - frittered away a vast fortune on furs, jewels, baubles and gewgaws. Paget's story is not widely known, but this is a piece which should hopefully give him a higher profile. The work is performed on a highly polished black glass floor upon which Rees plays out not only key moments in the life of the "Dancing Marquis" - including the striking auction sequence in which Rees's heel becomes the auctioneer's gavel - but also the imagined moments which succeed in conveying Paget's isolation and other-worldliness, all underpinned by a soundscape which contributes greatly to the heightened atmosphere. Paget was described in one newspaper obituary as a "man who knew that he was not as other men": a figure who saw himself as "unlovable". For this to be conveyed purely in terms of movement and dance is astonishing, but Rees pulls it off - most notably in a hauntingly surreal and moving sequence in which the Marquis is left totally isolated and exposed as snow falls upon his body. This is a work which oozes quality from first to last, and one in which both seasoned dance enthusiasts and newcomers will undoubtedly find much to enjoy. Gloria Days can be seen at Wales Millennium Centre tonight and tomorrow. Contact the Box Office on 08700 40 2000. (www.wmc.org.uk). |
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| reviewer: Graham Wlliams |
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| If you know of any other existing review, or if you have any more information on Gloria Days, (perhaps you were in the production or were the author or director) then please use the form below to send us the details |