East O’ The Sun, West O’ The Moon

WorkshOPERA (suitable for families)

 

Thursday 24 July & Friday 25 July, 2014

Studio Central Saint Martins

 

Genesis

workshOPERA formed in 2013, when three students at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama – Anna Pool, James Garner and Sarah Sweet – decided to create a company showcasing emerging opera writing. Following their inaugural performance at the Milton Court Studio Theatre in January 2014, workshOPERA find themselves here at Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival, looking forward to exciting times ahead. Their next production, later this year, will be new a commission by composer Vahan Salorian: Phoenix.

 

About

In a forest, dark and deep, live a poor woodcutter, his wife and daughter. One wild and stormy night, the family receive a mysterious visitor: a great, white bear who promises the woodcutter and his wife limitless riches in exchange for their child. The girl, headstrong and fearless, agrees and sets off on a journey into a magical world of castles, crones, travel and trolls that will change her destiny forever. Based on the beloved Norwegian folk tale, EAST O’ THE SUN, WEST O’ THE MOON reflects the place we wish to reach, the epic adventures we long to undertake, the true love we hope to find and the proof that sometimes, mother doesn’t always knowbest… This production marks workshOPERA’s debut at Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival.

 

 

 

 

East O’ The Sun, West ‘O The Moon

Music: James Garner

Words: Anna Pool

Director: Anna Pool

Designer: Anna Driftmier

Lighting Designer (original workshop): Liam Summerfield

Lighting Designer: David Salter

Stage Manager: Sarah Sweet

Assistant Stage Manager: Tom Jackson

Music Director: Harry Sever

Girl: Laura Ruhí Vidal

Mother: Alison Langer

Father: Rick Zwart

The Bear: Joseph Padfield

Troll Princess: Iestyn Morris

The Hag: Bethan Langford

West Wind: Emily Kyte

South Wind: Gustav Hasfjord

Clarinet: Rachel Coe

Flute: Vahan Salorian

Piano/ Celeste: Julie Yuquing Ye

Guitar: George Savory-­‐ Tarlton

Violin: Will Newell

Violin II: Georgia Hannant

Viola: Chris Deakins

Cello: Andrew Power

 

James Garner is a composer and accompanist. Recent credits include music for the Alma Mater Ensemble, Barbican Silent Film & Live Music Series and a new production of Chekhov’sThe Three Sisters for Milton Court’s inaugural season. In 2016, James will work with Olivier award-­‐winning company, English Touring Opera on a new opera for young people.

 

Anna Pool is a director, librettist and composer. She is the Artistic Director of workshOPERA, musical theatre collective Jazzhands Optional and co-­‐founder of Wind Up Penguin Theatre Company. Her multi-­‐faceted work includes collaborations with Barbican Creative Learning, National Youth Music Theatre and Teatro Vivo. She is currently writing a new children’s opera for English Touring Opera.

 

Anna Driftmier is a freelance performance designer, based in London. She will begin an MA in Performance, Design & Practice at Central Saint Martins, in October 2014. Design credits include: Grim the Musical (Untold Theatre Company), Games of Love & Chance (Zut Alors), Transfigured Night (re-­‐form productions), and a sculpture installation for the Barbican Centre.

 

Liam Summerfield is entering his final year on the Technical Theatre course at Guildhall School of Music & Drama (GSMD), after gaining a BTEC in Production Arts at West Herts College. Lighting design credits include: Alfie and Beauty and the Beast. Programmer credits include: Three Sisters, Opera Double Bill and Opera Scenes for GSMD.

 

Harry Sever studied at Oxford University and GSMD. He has worked with singers from the Royal Opera House and English National Opera, and has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, BarbicanCentre, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Glyndebourne. He also works as a songwriter and composer for stage and screen.

 

Laura Ruhí Vidal is training at GSMD. Credits include: Gretel (Guernsey Symphony Orchestra) and Le Feu/Le

 

Rossignol L’enfant et les sortilèges (London Schools Symphony Orchestra). Festivals include: 66th Aldeburgh (chorus Peter Grimes), concerts with Spanish ensemble Maria Camahort Quintet in the Purcell Room, St Martin-­‐ in-­‐the-­‐Fields, Kings Place and The Bath Guitar Festival.

 

Alison Langer is a soprano on the GSMD opera course, under the tutelage of David Pollard. Credits include: Lucia, Juliette, Vittelia, Musetta, Fiordiligi (Scenes). Future engagements include: Lisette La Rondine (Opera in the Open, Dublin) Princess The Cunning Peasant (Guildhall Autumn Opera) and Norina I Pazzi per Progetto (GSMD).

 

Dutch baritone Rick Zwart is training on the GSMD opera course. Previously, he participated in Dutch National Opera Academy and Dutch National Opera Studio, singing parts such as Figaro Le nozze di Figaro, Don Alfonso Così fan tutte, Publio La Clemenza di Tito, Aeneas Dido & Aeneas and Filiberto Il Signor Bruschino. Rick won the Mozarteum Summer academy singer prize in 2013, where he was instructed by the late Tom Krause.

 

Joseph Padfield has just completed the opera course at GSMD, where he studied under the guidance of John Evans. Credits include: Herod San Giovanni Battista, Fire Eater/Ape Judge/Big Green Fisherman/Ringmaster/ Farmer Pinocchio and Il Re Francesca di Foix. In September, he will sing King Tartaglia Little Green Swallow (BYO).

 

Iestyn Morris was born and raised in London. He has appeared on several major concert and opera stages across Europe, performing repertoire that ranges from early sixteenth-­‐century to present day. Interest in new music and role creation sees him performing several world/national premieres a year. In 2014/15, he will sing Title Role Peter Pan for Welsh National Opera and Staatsoper Stuttgart.

 

Bethan Langford studies at GSMD, where she is a recipient of the Susan Longfield and Peter Hamburger prizes. Credits include: Noble Orphan Der Rosenkavalier (Glyndebourne Festival Opera), Prince Orlofsky Die Fledermaus (Clonter Opera) and Nancy Albert Herring (Mid Wales Opera Young Artists). Future plans include: recitals at the Wigmore Hall and Oxford Lieder Festival, and cover Proserpine L’Orfeo (Royal Opera House).

 

Mezzo-­‐soprano, Emily Kyte trains with Susan Waters at GSMD. Previous opera experience includes: Beetle/Cover Wild Goose/Chorus Paul Bunyan (British Youth Opera, 2013), and 1st Villager/Chorus in Jonathan Dove’s The Adventures of Pinocchio (GSMD).

 

Gustav Navas Hasfjord is a tenor from Norway studying at GSMD, under Andrew Watts. He has sung for Collegium Musicum and Edvard Grieg Choir in Bergen. He is currentlyenrolled on Bergen National Opera’s Young Voices programme.