Cruel Britannia
Three Opera Nibbles commissioned by Back To Ours
29 & 30 March 2019
Information
Presented
March 29th & 30th 2019 at Princes Quay, Whitefriargate and across central Hull. “Colonialism” also performed at Glastonbury 2019.
Commissioned by Back To Ours, Cruel Britannia was a wry look at Britain’s past and present in the form of street-opera. The three events gave existing arias by Arne, Purcell and Mozart a new twist by recasting them with outlandish new characters including a mean, self-obsessed rich mother, a hunter proudly displaying his captive yeti and a tired and emotional Britannia on a shopping-trolley chariot.
Credits
The 1%
Zerrin Karsli – The Mother
Esme Kingdom/Olivia Hewitt-Jones – The Daughter
Colonialism
Neil Balfour – The Yeti
Ben Newton – The Hunter
Sue Clarke – The Trainer
Imperialism
Britannia – Britannia
Chris Newton – The Slave
Directed by Russell Plows
Musical Direction by Ben Newton
Costumes by Liz Dees
Props by Charles Huckvale
Makeup by Venice Marshall
Some audience reaction
“Amazing – beautiful voices”
“Fantastic – short and sweet!”
“I take my hat off to them”
“It opens it up to the people”
“My first bit of opera, I might chance seeing another now”
This production was made possible with the generous support of Back To Ours.