Thursday 4th & Friday 5th August, 19.00
Tête à Tête
As a couple struggle to save their marriage, they turn in desperation to the experts to help them make sense of the challenges of loving. A work in progress for Tête à Tête’s Seedbed programme, Love Songs is a meditation on the nature of love
Genesis
Following Robert’s hit Lite Bite Opera Contact for Tête à Tête during the 2010 Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival, he returns this year exploring Love.
Synopsis
As a couple struggle to save their marriage, they turn in desperation to the experts to help them make sense of the challenges of loving. A work in progress for Tête à Tête’s Seedbed programme, Love Songs is a meditation on the nature of love.
The making of this video has been kindly supported by The Boltini Trust
www.robertfokkens.co.uk
Music & Words: Robert Fokkens
Music Director: Tim Murray
Director: Bill Bankes-Jones
Designer: Jemima Carter-Lewis
Featuring: Christopher Diffey, Sadhbh Dennedy, Keel Watson
CHROMA Ensemble
Alto sax (doubling clarinet): Simon Stewart
Clarinet/bass clarinet: Stuart King
Double Bass: Elena Hull
Percussion: Steve Gibson
Piano: John-Paul Gandy
Music & Words: Robert Fokkens
Music Director: Tim Murray
Director: Bill Bankes-Jones
Designer: Jemima Carter-Lewis
Featuring: Christopher Diffey, Sadhbh Dennedy, Keel Watson
CHROMA Ensemble
Alto sax (doubling clarinet): Simon Stewart
Clarinet/bass clarinet: Stuart King
Double Bass: Elena Hull
Percussion: Steve Gibson
Piano: John-Paul Gandy
Biographies
Bill Bankes-Jones: Director
Bill is founder and Artistic Director of Tête à Tête, and Chair of the Opera and Music Theatre Forum. He has championed new audiences for new opera, and directed all of the company’s productions to date. Recent freelance engagements include The Classical Opera Company, Oxford Shakespeare Company, Blackheath Halls, Trinity College and Iford. Plans include directing his new translation of Hansel and Gretel for Scottish Opera and Circus Tricks for Tête à Tête.
Jemima Carter-Lewis: Designer
Jemima trained in Painting at Glasgow school of Art and then Theatre Design at Motley. Recent design work includes costumes the Lightning Ensemble, costumes for the Measurement Shop in Elephant and Castle shopping centre for Tangled Feet, Subs and Pay as You Go at the Cock Tavern Theatre for Good Night Out Productions and costumes Cells in the old Stratford prison for Theatre Venture and Tangled Feet. Jemima also designed the costumes for Lite Bites in last years Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival.
Christopher Diffey: Man
Christopher was born in Melbourne and trained at RAM. Awards include the English Touring Opera Young Artist bursary. Operatic roles include Fenton, Count Almaviva, Ramiro, Ernesto, Paris, Alfredo, Rodolfo, Kudrjas (cover), Lysander (cover), Dardanus and Lensky, with companies including ROH2 Covent Garden, Longborough Festival, Scottish Opera and Garsington Opera. Concert experience includes Bach Christmas Oratorio (Manchester Camerata), St John Passion (Amersham Festival) and Mass in A Major (Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment). Future plans include Mercury inOrpheus in the Underworld (Scottish Opera).
Sadhbh Dennedy: Woman
Born in Ireland, Sadhbh trained at The RCM and at the NOS, where she graduated in 2010.This year she worked with ROH2 on The Doctor’s Tale, by Anne Dudley and Terry Jones, where she played Mollie/ Miss Purley. She also recently worked with ENO where she understudied Titania for A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Rebecca for Two Boys.
Natalie Ellis: Festival Production Assistant.
Natalie studied Music at the University of Leeds. When not busking in the rain with her sax quartet, Natalie can be found working with the bright young things of tomorrow at Royal Opera House Education. Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival 2011 will be Natalie’s festival debut.
Liam Fahey: Festival Lighting
Liam trained at Westminster College and Exeter University. A bright future was forecast but Liam decided to work in theatre instead. He was freelance for a while, then worked at Sadler’s Wells Theatre for eleven years where he was the Chief Technician and is now freelance again after moving to sunny Eastbourne in order to eat more ice cream. This is the second time Liam has worked for Tête
Tête having been the Production LX for Salad Days.
Robert Fokkens: Composer
Robert’s music is performed regularly in the UK, South Africa and around the world by some of the most exciting and interesting performers working in contemporary music. He is currently Lecturer in Composition at Cardiff University.
John-Paul Gandy: Repetiteur
John-Paul has worked with such diverse artists and companies as the Rambert Dance Company, Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Almeida Opera, BBC Singers, the acclaimed music-theatre group The Clod Ensemble, accordion virtuoso Luke Daniels, jazz singers/instrumentalists Barb Jungr, Viv Corringham, Alec Dankworth, Ben Castle & Brian Abrahams and rock legends Mark E. Smith (‘The Fall’) & Damo Suzuki (ex-Can).