Orpheus and Euridice

Thursday 11th & Friday 12th August, 21.00
Citric Acid

Music & Words: Ricky Ian Gordon

Director: Alex Sutton
Designer: Alex Eales

Piano: : Magnus Gilljam
Clarinet & Orpheus: Jay Bevan
Euridice: Joanna Strand

Chorus: Jennifer Ansdel, Nida Khayrallah, Julia Korning, Andy Lau, Sarah Loxley, Nina Miniri, Olivia Onyehara, Paulo Rivera, Lia Rogers, Robert Sladden and Tessa Wood

Synopsis
Euridice sings of the great musician Orpheus. She says that she met him once in a dream and in that dream he was able to silence the whole of nature with his playing. When Orpheus met Euridice, they both instantly fell in love. In state of complete bliss they build a house and garden where all there friends can meet. Orpheus and Euridice dance. Orpheus writes Euridice a song about how he feels connected to the whole world through his love for her. After a while Euridice grows ill and dies. Distraught Orpheus storms the gates of the underworld and asks its council to bring her back. After agreeing to let her go, they decree that the terms of her release are reliant on Orpheus leading her back to the living world but without looking at her. Orpheus, driven mad by paranoia turns to her, and Euridice disappears. Euridice sings a second song about being disconnected from the world. Orpheus’s grief changes the music he plays which drives the animals of the world wild. They rip him apart and send his head floating down a river, from which music will forever emerge.