KING KING ARTHUR ARTHUR Samuel Beckett Theatre 17-21 Jan '22
Semi Opera with Music by Henry Purcell Visit Riam.ie for Tickets (€10/€15)
INTRODUCTION OF KING ARTHUR, THE FIVE ACT SEMI-OPERA:
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KING ARTHUR
Directed By Aoife Spillane-Hinks. When the worst happens, such as war or climate disaster, what can we rely on? Community, connection, and our individual and collective resourcefulness. This production of King Arthur sees a group of people coming together in a wild landscape (not so far from our world or our time) to tell the story of a triumph of love over force, of community over self-interest. Using what they have, whether it’s an old piece of sheet metal left behind from a storm or a beautiful branch of a tree, to conjure up the fantastical and outsized adventures of kings, princesses, and all manner of magical creatures. Sometimes it’s fun, sometimes funny, sometimes tender, sometimes dark. Through telling this story, the people in the woods discover that their own simple existence, unremarkable as it might be, is a precious resource that is worth celebrating and cherishing, this story is well worth the watch. Working in the United States but based in Dublin as a director for theatre, musical theatre and opera with a decade of directorial curating and directing events for the Abbey Theatre Community and Education Department, for the International Literature Festival Dublin, and for the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Aoife has curated and directed events for the Abbey Theatre Community and Education Department, for the International Literature Festival
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KING ARTHUR
Love has a thousand ways to please, but more to rob us of our ease: for wakeful nights and careful days, some hours of pleasure he repays; but absence soon, or jealous fears, o’erflow the joys with floods of tears.
Part One of The Song - You Say ‘Tis Love Sung by King Arthur and Princess Emmeline
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KING ARTHUR
Apocalyptic Set in the Renowned Samuel Beckett Theatre
The Samuel Beckett Theatre, named after one of the most innovative playwrights of the 20th century. Samuel Barclay Beckett (1906–1989) was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. The theatre was opened in 1992 to celebrate the quatercentenary of Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin. The Design for Stage and Screen students were very resourceful in their designs for both costume and set design on this piece. Using previously used materials and repurposing them so exquisitely adds to the intricacies of this Opera. The set shows what post-disaster may resemble in this other-worldly piece. Climate change is a major theme in this story, affecting both the landscape and characters as they walk through Arthur’s world.
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VENUE OF KING ARTHUR, THE FIVE ACT SEMI-OPERA:
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CAST
KING ARTHUR
With Thanks to The Royal Academy of Music has brought together a superb cast of extraordinary Opera actors and singers. We would like to thank them for their service to this adaptation of King Arthur.
Chorus
Britons
Lauren Mc Gann Anna-Maria Husca Samantha Brady Aimee Kearney Sophie Bellamy Orla Bruce Rachael Conaghan Séan Tester Séamus Brady
Samantha Brady as Merlin Sophie Bellamy Briton (S) Anna-Maria Husca Briton (S) Rachael Conaghan Briton (A) Anna-Helena Mac Lachlann Briton (A) Hugo O’Donnell Briton (T)
Characters Matthew Manion as Arthur Niamh sheehy as Emmeline Laura Aherne as Philidel Samantha Brady as Merlin
Saxons Séamus Brady as Grimbald Ceallachán Mc Donald as Oswald Caroline Behan Saxon (S) Stephanie Kinsella Saxon (A) Séan Tester Saxon (T) Emma Hils as High Priestess
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Pastoral
Gods
Lauren Mc Gann Séan Tester Samantha Brady Aimee Kearney Rachael Conaghan Orla Bruce Ceallachán Mc Donald Sophie Bellamy Stephanie Kinsella Hugo O’Donell Séamus Brady as Shepherds
Emma Hils Eilísh Fox Hugo O’Donell as Aelous Anna-Maria Husca as Nereid Caroline Behan as Venus
Spirits Marta Stupzinska Eilísh Fox Caroline Behan Niamh Sheehy Stephanie Kinsella Orla Bruce Séan Tester as Grimbald’s Spirits Anna-Helena Mac Lachlann Aimee Kearney Samantha Brady Rachael Conaghan Hugo O’Donell Matthew Mannion Lauren Mc Gann as Philadel’s Spirits
Cold People Anna-Helena Mac Lachlann as Cold Genius Caroline Behan Cold (S) Aimee Kearney Cold (S) Anna-Maria Husca Cold (S) Rachael Conaghan Cold (A) Ceallachán Mc Donald Cold (B) Séamus Brady Cold (B) Hugo O’Donell Cold (T)
Mythical Sophie Bellamy as Siren 1 Anna-Maria Husca as Siren 2 Lauren Mc Gann Sylvan (S) Séamus Brady Sylvan (B) Séan Tester Sylvan (T) Samantha Brady Nymph (S) Aimee Kearney Nymph (S) Orla Bruce Nymph (A) Rachael Conaghan Nymph (A)
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CREW Of the Opera With the wonderful Design for Stage and Screen course in the Institute of Art, Design Technology in Dun Laoghaire. Students have been working directly with the Royal Irish Academy of Music for this Opera production. With students varying in disciplines from production design, costume and character makeup design, the third year students (of the graduating year 2023) have been working tirelessly to demonstrate and practice their skills in a finished production. We would like to thank each and every one of them and all staff of I.A.D.T. that have helped make this possible.
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KING ARTHUR
Costume
Makeup
Production
Jessica Anderson Hannah Cassidy Ben Hackett Ciara Farrell Megan Cullton Ciara Hogan Freya Meldrum Heo Graham Val Myles
Bianca Oberholtzer Dawn Leigh Elise Mc Elroy Jessica Bradshaw Olwyn Yappa Roisin Malone Sarah Byrne Zerica Griffin
Aoife-Joy Fitzmaurice Aoibhe Rice Elsa Murray Mai Maher Ciara Kelly Megan Edney Mia Yip-Breen Damien Tallon Ellen Mc Hugh Isaré Sánchez
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KING ARTHUR
What power art thou, who from below hast made me rise, unwillingly, and slow, from beds of everlasting snow? See’st thou not how stiff and wond’rous old, far unfit to bear the bitter cold, I can scarcely move or draw my breath? Let me, let me, freeze again to death. Part of The Song - Cold Genius /Cupid Sung by the Cold Genius and Cupid
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ACTS
KING ARTHUR
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First Act
Second Act
The Britons prepare for the battle which will decide who will rule their land: the Christian Arthur or the heathen Saxon Oswald. It augurs well for them: it is Saint George’s Day and the Britons have already defeated the Saxons in ten battles. Conon, Duke of Cornwall, explains the origins of the war. Oswald had sought his daughter, the blind Emmeline’s, hand in marriage but she rejected him because she is in love with Arthur. He meets Emmeline and tries to explain to her what seeing means. A trumpet calls Arthur to battle.Oswald prays to the Saxon gods for victory in the coming battle. The spirit Grimbald, arrives admitting he has lost control of the other spirit, Philidel. The Britons are triumphant, the Saxons flee.
Philidel pities those soldiers who have lost their lives in the battle. Merlin arrives and Philidel explains he is a spirit of the air and one of the fallen angels, but he has repented. Philidel tells Merlin that Grimbald is planning to deceive the victorious Britons by leading them to drown in rivers or fall off cliffs. Philidel tries to save the Britons from this trap.Grimbald arrives disguised as a shepherd guiding Arthur and his men. Philidel and his spirits and Grimbald and his spirits compete to win Arthur’s trust. Arthur holds a parley with Oswald and begs him to return Emmeline, offering him land from the River Medway to the Severn, but Oswald refuses to relinquish her.
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Third Act
Fourth Act
Fifth Act
Arthur and his men attack Oswald’s castle but magic defeats them barring access to the castle. Merlin promises to help Arthur reach Emmeline and restore her sight with potion in a vial. Grimbald catches Philidel in the woods, pretends to submit but secretly casts a spell on Grimbald which renders him powerless to move. Merlin asks Philidel to guide Arthur through the wood and gives him the vial, which the spirit uses to rid Emmeline of her blindness. Emmeline is amazed at the new world before her eyes. Merlin’s spells also allow Arthur and Emmeline to meet for a brief moment, but Emmeline will not be free until the enchanted wood is destroyed. Oswald tries to win over Emmeline with a Masque.
The threatening spells within the Enchanted Woods have been replaced with seductive ones. Arthur enters with the spirit Philidel as his guide. Philidel has a wand which will banish all magical deception. Arthur hears seductive music from two Sirens. Though tempted, Arthur realises it is an illusion and presses on. Arthur rejects them and begins destroying the wood. When he chops a tree with his sword, blood pours out of it and the voice of Emmeline cries out in pain. It convinces Arthur that it is Emmeline, who has been turned into a tree. Arthur is just about to embrace the tree when Philidel reveals it is really a trick by Grimbald. Arthur cuts down the tree, and proceeds to Oswald’s castle.
Arthur and the Britons are preparing to storm the castle when Oswald comes out and challenges his rival to single combat for the hand of Emmeline and the crown. They fight and Arthur disarms Oswald. Arthur spares his life but tells Oswald he and his Saxons must return to Germany. Grimbald is sent to the castle dungeonArthur is reunited with Emmeline and the work ends with a celebratory masque. Merlin conjures a vision of the ocean around Britain. The Four Winds create a storm which is calmed by Aeolus (the keeper of the winds and king of the island of Aeolia.) Allowing Britannia to rise from the waves on an island with fishermen at her feet leaving the land prosperous in their victory of war.