Theatre

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This page describes some of the theatre productions in which I have worked.


A Midsummer Night's Dream - Songe d'une Nuit d'Été

June 12 2007

This play is an adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream by Marie-Noelle Bouffay and performed by the pupils of the Section Européene at Collège André Maurois in La Saussaye. I volunteered to create a CD of incidental music for the production. The most significant work is a dance for 'les comediens' (the equivalent of the mechanicals from the original play). There are also short parts for a scene where the lovers are wandering in the woods and for the arrival of Queen Elizabeth. I borrowed the court theme and fairy theme from John Sampson.


The Tempest

August-September 2006

Richard Cherns' music was used for this Theatre Alba production of Shakespeare's The Tempest. It was performed for 15 nights in the open air at Duddingston Kirk gardens in Duddingston near Edinburgh in the Edinburgh Fringe festival, then for two nights at the Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh. Being too busy to attend 15 shows and operate a pair of CD players, I designed a program to play the sound cues running on a titanium powerbook that was operated by a young lad on work experience.


The Death of Arthur

August-September 2006

Donald Smith's The Death of Arthur was performed in the Netherbow theatre at the Scottish Storytelling Centre during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2006. The action was accompanied live on stage by guitarist and Stewart Hanratty. I prepared a CD with some music recorded by Stewart and a variety of my incidental sounds, including a series of dreamy sequences to accompany the Bard character's battle stories.


A Midsummer Night's Dream

June 22 2006

Dunbar Civic Week played host to this performance by the Theatre Alba youth group of an abridged version of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. A young violinist and myself on the piano accompanied the performance in Dunbar Community (enchanted) Woodland, playing music by John Sampson.


The Taming of the Shrew

August September 2005

Theatre Alba's open air production of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew at Duddingston Kirk gardens was accompanied by a quartet led by John Sampson on recorders and trumpet, and comprising Stewart Hanratty on Guitar and mouth harp, Mike Cameron on drums (and a stool), and myself on keyboards and sound. The play was set in the south of the United States during the early 20th century so the music was mostly ragtime classics. After twelve performances at Duddingston, the play moved to the Brunton Theatre for another three.


A Midsummer Night's Dream

August-September 2004

Duddingston Kirk gardens are the perfect location for a performance of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, a play that represents beautifully the magical spirit of Theatre Alba. John Sampson's enchanting accompanying music is a firm favourite of mine to this day. The music was performed by a trio of John on trumpet and recorders, Stewart Hanratty on guitar, and myself on keyboards and sound.


The Burning

August-September 2003

Stewart Conn's The Burning, staged by Theatre Alba four hundred years after the union of the crowns, is a story of James VI of Scotland, (later James I of England) witchcraft, and fear. It was played in the open air at Duddingston Kirk gardens for 12 performances and three at the Brunton Theatre. I played music by Richard Cherns for the keyboard and on CD and accompanied two singers.


Carlin Moth

November 2002

Robert McLellan's Carlin Moth, was my first play with Charles Nowosielski's Theatre Alba. One day, a moth flies into a fisherman's lamp and transorms into a beautiful woman who promises to be his perfect love - provided he tells no-one about her. Of course the poor fisherman can't help but spill the beans and she turns back into a moth and he is condemned to unhappiness until the end of his days. Richard Chern's beautiful music for cello and keyboards was composed for an earlier Theatre Alba adaptation from the original radio play. I played keyboards in a duet with a cellist for 10 shows at the Netherbow theatre in Edinburgh.


Sins Attached

August 2002

Sins attached is a musical by my former drama teachers, Peter Yates' and Jennifer Andrews' Hidden Agenda with music by Michael Dyer. I probably shouldn't link to a review like the one above but it makes me laugh, and it was absolutely true. Nevertheless, our friends and family liked it and it was very good experience. I played keyboards leading a group of four musicians, George Marshall on guitar, Ben Bayliss on bass, and Giles Barr on drums.