Vice, a new jazz opera
Directed by Rob Swain, programme director of the MFA Theatre Directing
Directed by Rob Swain, programme director of the MFA Theatre Directing
Vice is a new jazz opera with libretto by Sue Curtis and composed by Jools Scott, and is a re-imagining of Middleton’s 1607 play The Revenger’s Tragedy. With funding from Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts scheme, sections of this new work were workshopped with a cast of seven actor-musicians, a jazz trio, the librettist and composer, a designer, movement director and director, at Birkbeck in the week of 23rd March 2014.
The purpose of the workshop was to explore a physical and aesthetic language which could enhance and support the telling of a complex story, written in heightened language, complemented by a rich and demanding score that requires operatic singing and complex instrumentation.
On Friday 28th March there were two performances of the work-in-progress. A film of these performances can be seen at:
