THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS WEILL WELCOME Welcome to Opera North’s new production of I’d also like to thank James Brining, Robin Hawkes Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins. This is our first and their team at Leeds Playhouse for working fully-staged theatrical production since the onset together with us to realise not only this project, of the Covid-19 pandemic in March, and we are but also our enterprising Connecting Voices season delighted to share it with you. which took place in October. We look forward to continuing our partnership with our friends at the This production was originally planned as part Playhouse in the New Year. of a double bill with Handel’s Acis and Galatea to open at Leeds Playhouse in mid-November In the months since March we have stayed for a live, socially-distanced audience, but the true to our purpose of creating extraordinary government’s announcement at the end experiences through music and opera with of October of a second national lockdown and for our communities across the North and forced the postponement of the double bill beyond. We will continue to do so in the weeks until 2021. Despite this latest setback, we ahead, through projects such as Abel Selaocoe’s remain determined to make and share work soundwalk for Leeds As You Are; La petite bohème, with audiences wherever we possibly can; Matthew Robins’ new animated film of Act III hence this livestream performance of of Puccini’s much-loved opera; and a livestream The Seven Deadly Sins. from Leeds Town Hall on 12 December of our new concert staging of Beethoven’s great hymn I’d like to pay tribute to the spirit in which to liberty and hope, Fidelio, at the end of the everyone involved has approached the creation composer’s 250th anniversary year. Whatever of the show: our cast, Wallis Giunta, Shelley Eva uncertainties may lie ahead, we will continue Haden, Nicholas Butterfield, Stuart Laing, Dean to respond with creativity, courage and generosity Robinson and Campbell Russell; the creative team in our determination to make music for everyone. of James Holmes, Gary Clarke, George Johnson- Leigh and Mike Lock; all the technical staff; and of course members of our ever-intrepid Orchestra. The production has been rehearsed and staged in a Covid-secure environment, with two-metre physical distancing in place, and the entire OBE team has embraced this challenge as a creative Richard Mantle opportunity to be seized rather than a limitation General Director to be endured. Cover – front: Shelley Eva Haden (Anna II); back: Wallis Giunta (Anna I). Photograph by Tristram Kenton This page: Richard Mantle. Photograph by Justin Slee 1 2 Switch ON - Welcome THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS DIE SIEBEN TODSÜNDEN Ballet chanté in nine scenes Music by Kurt Weill Text by Bertolt Brecht Arrangement for 15 players by HK Gruber and Christian Muthspiel Performed in the English translation by Michael Feingold This streamed performance of Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins presents a preview of a new arrangement of this work by HK Gruber and Christian Muthspiel, ahead of the arrangement’s scheduled UK premiere by The Royal Opera in Spring 2021. We are very grateful to The Royal Opera for facilitating this performance. By arrangement with Schott Music Ltd., agent for The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music and the heirs of Bertolt Brecht In rehearsal: Shelley Eva Haden (Anna II), Nicholas Butterfield (Brother), Wallis Giunta (Anna I) Photograph by Tom Arber 3 3 Switch ON - The Seven Deadly Sins CHARACTERS in order of singing Anna I Wallis Giunta Anna II Shelley Eva Haden Brothers Stuart Laing Nicholas Butterfield Father Campbell Russell Mother Dean Robinson Conductor James Holmes Director and Choreographer Gary Clarke Designer George Johnson-Leigh Costumes realised by Stephen Rodwell Lighting Designer Mike Lock Assistant Conductor Martin Pickard Assistant Director Sophie Gilpin Dramaturgical Advisor Lou Cope Chief Repetiteur Martin Pickard Stage Manager Lisa Ganley Deputy Stage Manager (Book) Abby Jones Assistant Stage Manager Alison Best Production Manager Ray Hain Senior Costume Supervisor Stephen Rodwell Costume Supervisor Mary Gillibrand Wigs and Make-up Supervisor Jo Charlton-Wright Textiles Natalie Needham Costumes Opera North Costume Department Prop Making and Scenic Painting by Mandy Burnett Lucy Campbell-Skelling Scott Thompson Props Supervisor Mandy Burnett Production Carpenter Jonny Hick Livestream film credits Director Jonathan Haswell Script supervisor Gemma Dixon Outside Broadcast Facilities Timeline TV Engineering Manager James Poole The performance of The Seven Deadly Sins lasts approximately 35 minutes In rehearsal – this page: Shelley Eva Haden (Anna II); next page: Wallis Giunta (Anna I) Photographs by Tom Arber 1 4 Switch ON - Characters SYNOPSIS Anna I (who sings) and Anna II (who dances) are twin sisters. At the behest of their family, they travel to seven different American cities in order to make enough money to build a little house on the banks of the Mississippi. In each city, the twins encounter a different deadly sin: Sloth, Pride, Anger, Gluttony, Lust, Greed and Envy. Anna I (the practical one) rebukes Anna II (the artistic one) for engaging in sinful behaviour – that is, behaviour which hinders the accumulation of wealth. After each sin is repented in turn, they return to the new house in Louisiana. 5 Switch ON - Synopsis In rehearsal: Gary Clarke (Director / Choreographer) Photograph by Tom Arber SPEAKING OF SINS Conductor James Holmes, director and choreographer quickly and respond to things as they come up in Gary Clarke and designer George Johnson-Leigh talk the room’. Whatever the pressures, Gary admires to Stuart Leeks about Opera North’s first fully-staged Opera North’s determination to stick to its mission production since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic of making and sharing music with audiences whatever in the UK in March. the circumstances; hence the present livestream of The Seven Deadly Sins. ‘The fact that the Opera North ‘We’ve got to talk about time’ says Gary Clarke has committed to this show is a real testament to the midway through our conversation. Usually, Company’s bravery and resilience,’ he says. Opera North productions are planned at least eighteen months in advance. Gary – along with the rest of the Written and premiered in Paris in 1933, The Seven creative team – got the call inviting him to direct this Deadly Sins was to be the final collaboration between production just three weeks before rehearsals were the composer Kurt Weill and the playwright Bertolt due to start. And just a week or so after we spoke, Brecht. They had scored a huge hit together with The plans had changed again. Originally intended to open Threepenny Opera in 1928, but their relationship soured in a double bill with Handel’s Acis and Galatea at as they worked towards the premiere of The Rise and Leeds Playhouse on November 11th to a live, socially- Fall of the City of Mahagonny in 1930. A major point distanced audience, the government’s announcement of contention was their opposing views of the function on Halloween of a second national lockdown forced of music in the theatre: Brecht distrusted anything the postponement of the double bill in the theatre until that encouraged audiences to empathise with the early 2021. Gary explains: ‘Usually with a project of characters on stage: he wanted audiences to retain this scale I’d have given myself a research period their objectivity. Jim Holmes explains: ‘In many ways of several months when I’d have fully immersed myself Brecht was a very musical man, but his view of music in the piece, just to make sure that I honour the work was that it should be functional. He didn’t have much and its context and history. We haven’t had that luxury, time for the emotional power of music. Weill took so I’ve been fast-tracking myself, staying up until another view, and when they were working together 2 in the morning, reading and scribbling’. George adds: on the Mahagonny opera this fundamental difference ‘The conversations I’d usually be having a year in between them was bound to come to a head. It didn’t advance are happening alongside the creation of the signify a total rift at the time, but there is no doubt that work in the rehearsal room. But there’s an excitement their relationship hit distinctly rocky ground’. about that because we’re having to make decisions 11 6 Switch ON - Speaking of Sins Left – in rehearsal: Dean Robinson (Mother) Above – in rehearsal: Wallis Giunta (Anna I) Photographs by Tom Arber Both Brecht (a Marxist) and Weill (a Jew) fled Germany in 1933 when the Nazis seized power. Weill sought refuge in Paris, where he met a wealthy English admirer of his work, Edward James, who commissioned a new theatre piece from him. Jim takes up the story: ‘There was also a personal motive for the commission. Edward James was estranged from his wife, a dancer called Tilly Losch, and I guess he hoped to effect some kind of reconciliation with her through artistic means’. It’s easy to imagine a degree of fellow feeling between the two men, since at the time Weill was also estranged from his wife, the singer and actor Lotte Lenya. Jim continues: ‘James also admired Lenya, so the idea of a ballet chanté – a sung ballet – involving both Losch and Lenya was born. This evolved into the idea of the two playing a woman with a split personality – or alternatively identical twin sisters – with Lenya singing and Losch dancing’. Jean Cocteau was approached to supply the text, but when he refused the offer Weill and James turned to Brecht.