Saturday 11th 20.45 – 21.35 & Sunday 12th August 17.45 – 18.35
Cosmica Productions
And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going’ –from ‘Dreamgirls: Original Cast Album’ © Universal Music Publishing.
Extracts from ‘Princesa’, directed by Henrique Goldman and written by Henrique Goldman and Ellis Freeman, courtesy Parallax Pictures Ltd 2001.
Cosmica Productions is the brainchild of Johnny Guim and Ellis Freeman. Together they ran a monthly cabaret club at Turnmills Top floor for two years. Their aim is to celebrate diversity and clashes of culture in a musical context.
They have since been developing this show, inspired by Guim’s colourful life. A pilot version was performed in Nov 2011 as selectors’ choice at the G-Fest. Email – info_cosmica@yahoo.co.uk Website: www.cosmica.co.uk
Synopsis:
A boy is born in small town Brazil on the day of John the Baptist and is given the saint’s name. After seeing a Barbra Streisand TV special he knows what he wants; to be on the stage and sing like Barbra.
When his mother hears him, she curses him for singing like a woman. After that, he can’t sing anymore. But his dream won’t die. He escapes to Sao Paolo and transforms himself into drag queen Biba Lerhue. If he can’t sing, at least he can lipsync! Johnny travels to Italy to perform but discovers his co-workers are sneaking off to work as transvestite prostitutes on the streets. Tempted by the money he creates a new character, Alessandra, and joins them.
His life of multiple identities comes to a head; Johnny is looking for love. Alessandra wants money. Biba wants to be on stage.
One night, running from the police, he gets a call; his mother has died.
In a crisis, Johnny remembers his grandmother’s words; if you sing, your troubles will leave you.
www.cosmica.co.uk
Music: Susie Self
Words: Johnny Guim, Ellis Freeman & Susie Self
Director: Dan Milne
Producer: Ellis Freeman
Production Assistant: Tamiya Johnston
Video Design: Johnny Guim
Costumes: Johnny Guim, Chayenne Creck Creck
The Boy: Johnny Guim
The Amazon’s
MD and vocals: Susie Self
Cello: Michael Christie
Percussion: Chris Brannick
Keyboard: Janet Haney
Guitar: David Preston
Music: Susie Self
Words: Johnny Guim, Ellis Freeman & Susie Self
Director: Dan Milne
Producer: Ellis Freeman
Production Assistant: Tamiya Johnston
Video Design: Johnny Guim
Costumes: Johnny Guim, Chayenne Creck Creck
The Boy: Johnny Guim
The Amazon’s
MD and vocals: Susie Self
Cello: Michael Christie
Percussion: Chris Brannick
Keyboard: Janet Haney
Guitar: David Preston
Susie Self: Music, Words Studied: Royal College of Music. Scholarship: Royal Society of Arts, study with John Cage.
Commissions: Royal Opera House, Arts Council, RW Trust. Second Symphony recorded by Moravian Philharmonic. Mezzo
roles for Opera companies: Lyon, Luxembourg, Salzburg, Ghent, Strasbourg, Lisbon Santiago and West End. Conducts:
“Suor Angelica”, “Albert Herring”. Visiting professor of composition at Junior Guildhall. www.selfmademusic.co.uk
Johnny Guim: Performer, Words Johnny has appeared in theatre, feature films, TV and commercials in Brazil, Italy and the UK. Moving to London, he studied musical theatre and drama at the City Lit and has been training his voice with teacher, Susie Self. In 2008, he was the first Brazilian to sing on the stage at Glyndebourne in ‘Love and Other Demons’.
Ellis Freeman: Words, Producer When not producing Cosmica, Ellis Freeman is a screenwriter whose credits include feature films, ‘Princesa’ and ‘January 2nd’. He also teaches a workshop in creative screenwriting, the Writers’ Gym, at the London Film School and at the DFFB in Berlin. He lives in London with his partner, Johnny Guim.
Dan Milne: Director Dan is an actor and director. His production TWO MEN TALKING played Trafalgar Studios (2007) and now appears regularly off-Broadway. As director of Wonderbar Productions he co-created The Cherry Orchard Project (Los Angeles 2009) and Totentanz (LA 2012). Opera: directing Stephen McNeff’s Strip Jack Naked (BSO’s Kokoro 2008) and assisting Melly Still on Mozart’s Zaida (Classical Opera 2010).