The Man and Men

Last updated

The Man and Men is a one-act opera by British composer Joshua Goodman. The libretto is by Tom Riley.

Contents

Production

Goodman wrote the opera as his final graduation piece for his studies at Huddersfield University. [1] The work was premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2010 by North of England Concert Theatre, an interdisciplinary music-theatre company based in Huddersfield, UK. The opera has no plot [1] but focuses on issues of masculine sexual identity and human loss. [2] It is orchestrated for soprano, saxophone, piano, percussion, cello and double bass.

Critical response

The reviewer from the Independent was "reasonably impressed", appreciating flashes of lyricism behind the modishness, adding "It's not every day you get to see a soprano bend a percussionist backwards over an upturned bucket and use his arms as beaters." [3] The Stage was more critical, praising soprano Ema Walton's three and a half octave range, while criticising its lyrical incoherence and moments of pretentiousness. [2]

Related Research Articles

Henry Naylor is a British comedy writer, director and performer.

Ali McGregor

Ali McGregor is an Australian soprano opera singer, actress and cabaret performer. She has performed in operas in the United Kingdom, in Australia and in New Zealand. Her cabaret performances have been seen at festivals in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia.

Icon Theatre is a Kent-based UK touring theatre company producing visual and physical theatre. Icon theatre is run by co-founder Nancy Hirst (artistic) and Sally Armstrong (administrative).

Dusty Limits

Dusty Limits is an Australian-born cabaret singer and comedian based in the United Kingdom, and one of the leading figures on the "new cabaret" scene.

Grimeborn is an annual East London musical theatre and opera festival which coincides with the world famous East Sussex Glyndebourne Opera Festival. Founded by Arcola Theatre’s artistic director Mehmet Ergen in 2007, the festival is held at Arcola Theatre in Dalston, East London. It takes place in and around August, and tends to showcase new and experimental works alongside radical productions of classic opera, using both the Arcola's performing stages.

Amy McAllister is an actress most notable for her role as Mary in hit BBC drama Call the Midwife. She recently completed work on the BAFTA Award-winning BBC/Merman comedy-drama There She Goes which stars Jessica Hynes and David Tennant as well as on Victorian detective drama Miss Scarlet and the Duke for UKTV and PBS. She is currently filming A Discovery of Witches for Sky One and has also appeared in the third series of Witless on BBC Three and in the Stephen Frears film Philomena, which stars Steve Coogan and Judi Dench.

Mark Stone is a British baritone appearing in concerts, recitals, and opera.

Alix Sophie Wilton Regan is an English actress, activist, writer and director.

Alan Harris is a Welsh playwright.

David Farr is a British writer, theatrical director and Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Peter Morris is an American playwright, television writer and critic, best known for his work in British theatre.

Fourth Monkey Actor Training Company is both a repertory theatre company, and an actor training provider and drama school for young actors.

Jon Bausor is an international stage and costume designer for Theatre, Dance and Opera. Based in London, he is an associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company and designed the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Liveartshow is a company that makes theatre with music and was established by director Martin Constantine, writer Alan Harris and composer Harry Blake. The company works with a wide range of artists from different disciplines.

<i>Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour</i>

Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour is a play based on the 1998 novel The Sopranos by Alan Warner, adapted for the stage by Lee Hall. It received its world premiere at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, in August 2015, before embarking on a short UK tour. The play is a co-production between the National Theatre of Scotland and Live Theatre. The production ran at London's National Theatre in August 2016 and was scheduled to transfer to the West End's Duke of York's Theatre in May 2017.

Opera Bohemia is an opera company based in Scotland that performs operas throughout the country. The operas are adapted for small venues and are often performed in remote communities. The company began presenting operas in 2010.

Sarah Grochala is a British playwright. Her plays have been performed at the Finborough Theatre, Theatre503, Hampstead Theatre, Arcola Theatre and Soho Theatre in London. Her plays have been produced internationally by the Griffin Theatre, Sydney, Tiyatro Yan Etki Istanbul, Turkey and on the Toronto Fringe Toronto Fringe Festival, Canada. Her book on playwriting, The Contemporary Political Play, was published in 2017.

Benjamin Hart is an English magician. In 2007, he was awarded the "Young Magician of the Year" award by The Magic Circle. Hart has worked on British television and is an inventor and designer of magic tricks and stage illusions. In 2014, he starred in Killer Magic on BBC Three. Hart was a finalist on Britain's Got Talent in 2019.

Asmik Grigorian

Asmik Grigorian is an Armenian-Lithuanian operatic soprano.

Dina Kuznetsova is an American lyric dramatic operatic soprano of Russian descent who has appeared in leading roles on the stages of international opera houses from New York to Sydney. She has focused on Italian and Slavic repertoires. Her signature roles include Tatyana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly by Puccini, the title role in Dvořák's Rusalka, and Kátya in Kátya Kabanová by Janáček.

References

  1. 1 2 "Huddersfield student Joshua Goodman set to stage opera at Edinburgh Fringe", Huddersfield TownTalk, http://www.huddersfield.towntalk.co.uk/news/d/14651/Huddersfield-Student-Joshua-Goodman-Set-To-Stage-Opera-At-Edinburgh-Fringe/
  2. 1 2 Lauren Paxman, "The Man and Men" (Review), The Stage, August 13, 2010, http://ed.thestage.co.uk/reviews/791
  3. Anna Picard, "Eugene Onegin, Royal Opera House, London; The Man and Men, Hill Street Theatre, Edinburgh; The Prodigal Son / The Homecoming, Arcola, London", The Independent, August 15, 2010, https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/eugene-onegin-royal-opera-house-londonbrthe-man-and-men-hill-street-theatre-edinburghbrthe-prodigal-son--the-homecoming-arcola-london-2052800.html