The Opera Group
VARJAK PAW
11 September - 1 November 2008
produced by The Opera Group
music by Julian Philips
words by Kit Hesketh-Harvey
One Small Cat, One Big City
“The music, while it did require effort, was brilliant, working seamlessly with the pared-down dramatisation of Said’s hugely engaging children’s stories… Two of the toughest nuts - children’s theatre and contemporary opera - had just been well and truly cracked.”
Guardian
“Plenty of character and action… energetic and visually arresting”
Evening Standard
“Varjak is a delightful operatic hero, enchantingly played by Akiya Henry”
Daily Telegraph
“George Ikediashi… utterly convincing as a villainous cat who eventually sees the light… Simon Wilding, who, in a performance of complete canine conviction, plays a dog named Cludge”
Evening Standard
“A very young audience wriggled and giggled through the last matinee of John Fulljames’s lively Opera Group production of Varjak Paw… Julian Philips’s opera is a jewelbox of musical quotes, with a cheeky patchwork of Rhinemaiden melismas woven into the Scratch Sisters’ doo-wop trios, some sparkling coloratura for Sally Bones (Alinka Kozári), and delicious writing for woodwind.”
Independent on Sunday
Varjak Paw is a young Mesopotamian Blue cat. He lives high in a house on a hill. No-one in his family has ever set paw outside; not since their legendary ancestor - Jalal.
But when the sinister Gentleman and his two black cats come to the house, Varjak must seek help. Alone in a dark and dangerous city, he encounters a world of tough street cats, makes some unexpected allies and discovers in himself an ancient and magical martial art.
Thrilling, action-packed and often funny, Varjak Paw is a dazzling musical tale about growing up, discovering friendship and thinking for yourself.
Varjak Paw is based on the best-selling books by S F Said: Varjak Paw, winner of the Smarties Prize Gold Award (2003), and The Outlaw Varjak Paw, Blue Peter Book of the Year (2007).
Visit our Varjak Paw Microsite here.
Great fun for ages 8+
Workshop development through the Operagenesis programme.
Tour
The Haymarket, Basingstoke
11 – 13 September
Oxford Playhouse
16 September
Lighthouse, Poole
19 – 20 September
Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House
25 – 28 September
Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Aldeburgh
4 - 5 October
Sherman Cymru, Cardiff
28 October
Warwick Arts Centre
30 October – 1 November
Free Varjak Paw Waterstone’s Events
See our Varjak Paw microsite here for information about free events at your local Waterstone’s store.
Video Clips
The Making of Varjak Paw
The Making of Varjak Paw
Video by David Newell
(3 minutes)
Watch more videos at our Varjak Paw microsite here
Conductor Gerry Cornelius
Director John Fulljames
Designer Rhys Jarman
Lighting Designer Bruno Poet
Sound Designer Michael Picknett
Choreographer Natasha Khamjani
Fight Director Alison de Burgh
Projection Design Andrzej Goulding
Cast includes Lisa Crosato, Akiya Henry, George Ikediashi, Alinka Kozári, Kevin Kyle, Tim Mead, Simon Wilding and Annabelle Williams.
Title treatment designed by Module Media. Photos by Alastiar Muir.
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