Music written, sampled and devised by Matthew Dewey
Libretto by Matthew Dewey, Nicholas Dewey and Alexander Dick
Based on a concept by Nicholas and Matthew Dewey
DURATION: 40’00”
STATUS: Complete
Michael Lampard, who created the role of “the Clown”.
SYNOPSIS
A man is on a telephone call, he is on hold. A clown appears, he welcomes the audience and sets the scene. The man verbalises wistfully (although unintelligibly) about the person who might one day answer the phone, he then dances, poorly. A pilgrimage of lost opera singers ambles through the theatre. A bull appears, briefly. The man becomes paranoid about his apparent abandonment by the person who refuses to answer, and goes to the fridge to get some food. A woman appears, tap dancing in terror – accompanied by glorious choral music. The Man finally returns to the table, destroyed by his efforts at the fridge. When he picks up the phone, he is still on hold, he is inconsolable. The devil appears, recites a speech about artistic mediocrity. The opera concludes with five opera singers singly loudly in an attempt to cover for the fact that there wasn’t a climax to the plot.
CHARACTERS (Original Performers)
The Man – Higher Baritone (Craig Wood)
Clown – Operatic Baritone (Michael Lampard)
Bull – Spoken/Tenor (Rainor Trippet)
Terrified Girl – Spoken (Charlea Edwards)
The Devil: – Spoken (Ruppert Brennen)
Opera Singers – Diva – Soprano (Pamela Andrews)
– Society Woman – Contralto (Helena Markovich)
– Lover/Soldier – Tenor (Nick King)
The Tasmanian New Music Ensemble – Conducted by Matthew Dewey
CREATIVE TEAM
Conductor / Director – Matthew Dewey
Assistant Director – Craig Wood
Lighting Designer – Nick Van der Meer
Stage Manager – Mark Joseph
REQUIRED PERSONNEL
5 operatic singer/actors
1 Male actor with puppetry experience.
1 Male actor with a heavily sardonic manner.
1 female actor with strong dancing / physical theatre background.
Conductor
Minimum 11 Instrumentalists – Violin, 2x Cello, Trombone, Keyboards, Percussion, Electronics, Kazoo section (minimum 4).
Stage crew as required