King Arthur Final Programme Design

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)

Introducing King Arthur the Five Act Semi-Opera 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

01

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 protecting.

Director, Aoife Spillane-Hinks

Directed By Aoife Spillane-Hinks 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

Dublin, and for the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She trained as a director on the Rough Magic SEEDS programme.

She holds a BA in Folklore and

Mythology from Harvard University and an MA in Drama and Theatre Studies from NUI Galway. She currently

teaches at the Lir Academy. She is the

co-founder of Then This Theatre and an

associate artist with axis Ballymun and with PICT Classic Theatre.

Working extensively with new writing.

02

03

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

04

The Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin Each year when we audition young

the students rise to the challenges

of professionalism, we ensure that our

of Music, we ask them about their

together musical expertise from

lies ahead and we take great pride

singers at the Royal Irish Academy ambitions for the future. Almost

always their answer is “to sing in

opera.” Our annual opera production is the first step on that journey,

introducing our student singers to the challenges and excitement of opera.

Each year an opera is chosen to suit the voices and vocal development

of our current students. Each year

05

we set them. Our productions bring within the Academy, students of stage design, and professional directors and designers from the world of opera.

In recent years, we have benefited

greatly from our collaborations with

Design for Stage and Screen at IADT

Dun Laoghaire and The Lir Academy of Dramatic Art at Trinity College Dublin.

In striving for the highest standards

singers are well-prepared for what

in the fact that many of our former students have gone on to forge successful careers in the

competitive world of opera.

-Kathleen Tynan, Head of Vocal Studies & Opera, Royal Irish Academy of Music

Samuel Beckett Theatre, Dublin

Venue 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 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 this world.

06 04

Cast In Collaboration

Characters

Britons

The Royal Academy of Music brought

Matthew Manion as Arthur

Samantha Brady as Merlin

Opera actors and singers. We would

Laura Aherne as Philidel

Anna-Maria Husca Briton (S)

together a superb cast of extraordinary

Niamh sheehy as Emmeline

like to thank them for their service to

Samantha Brady as Merlin

this adaption of King Arthur

Chorus

Rachael Conaghan Briton (A)

Anna-Helena Mac Lachlann Briton (A) Hugo O’Donnell Briton (T)

Lauren Mc Gann

Saxons

Samantha Brady

Séamus Brady as Grimbald

Anna-Maria Husca Aimee Kearney

Sophie Bellamy Orla Bruce

Rachael Conaghan Séan Tester

Séamus Brady

07

Sophie Bellamy Briton (S)

Ceallachán Mc Donald as Oswald Caroline Behan Saxon (S)

Stephanie Kinsella Saxon (A) Séan Tester Saxon (T)

Emma Hils as High Priestess

Spirits

Pastoral

Cold People

Marta Stupzinska

Lauren Mc Gann

Anna-Helena Mac Lachlann

Caroline Behan

Samantha Brady

Caroline Behan Cold (S)

Eilísh Fox

Niamh Sheehy

Stephanie Kinsella Orla Bruce

Séan Tester as

Grimbald’s Spirits Anna-Helena Mac Lachlann Aimee Kearney

Samantha Brady

Rachael Conaghan

Séan Tester

Aimee Kearney

Rachael Conaghan Orla Bruce

Ceallachán Mc Donald Sophie Bellamy

Stephanie Kinsella Hugo O’Donell

Séamus Brady as Shepherds

Hugo O’Donell

Gods

Lauren Mc Gann as

Emma Hils

Matthew Mannion

Philadel’s Spirits

Hugo O’Donell as Aelous

Anna-Maria Husca as Nereid Eilísh Fox

Caroline Behan as Venus

as Cold Genius

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)

08

Crew In Collaboration

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’s 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.

09

The Institute of Art, Design, Technology, Dún Laoghaire

Costume

Production

Makeup

Jessica Anderson

Aoife-Joy Fitzmaurice

Bianca Oberholtzer

Ben Hackett

Elsa Murray

Elise Mc Elroy

Ciara Kelly

Olwyn Yappa

Mia Yip-Breen

Sarah Byrne

Hannah Cassidy Ciara Farrell

Megan Cullton Ciara Hogan

Freya Meldrum Heo Graham Val Myles

Aoibhe Rice

Dawn Leigh

Mai Maher

Jessica Bradshaw

Megan Edney

Roisin Malone

Damien Tallon

Zerica Griffin

Ellen Mc Hugh Isaré Sánchez

10

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

11

12

Acts Of the Opera

First Act

Second Act

The Britons prepare for the battle

Philidel pities those soldiers who

land: the Christian Arthur or the

Merlin arrives and Philidel explains

which will decide who will rule their 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.

13

have lost their lives in the battle.

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.

Third Act

Fourth Act

Fifth Act

Arthur and his men attack Oswald’s

The threatening spells within the

Arthur and the Britons are preparing to

access to the castle. Merlin promises

with seductive ones. Arthur enters

out and challenges his rival to single

castle but magic defeats them barring 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.

Enchanted Woods have been replaced 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.

storm the castle when Oswald comes 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.

14