GALA at Grimeborn

Tomorrow, for one night only, at Arcola's Grimeborn Festival, a new production of "Gala", Ergo Phizmiz's opera on the romance of Gala Dali and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Written, Composed and Directed by Ergo Phizmiz

Starring Thea Martin, Adam Dindorf, Natalie Morgan and Teddy Court

with Jenny Moore, Serafina Steer, Sarah Anderson, Simon Clark, and Tom Woolner

Designed and Produced by Luis Carvajal

Presented by I-DA projects

Also starring Cumberbatch's steam

and

a

very

cute

rabbit

Tickets available rrrright here....

Some photos of rehearsals to whet that hungry palate of yours....

GALA at Grimeborn Festival, Arcola

A new production of "Gala", Ergo Phizmiz's opera on the romance of Gala Dali and Jesus Christ Superstar, is presented in a new production, directed by the composer, at Arcola's Grimeborn 2015 Festival.

 

Jeff Fenholt is a twenty-one year old actor, playing the title role in Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway. Gala Dali is the aging wife and muse of Salvador Dali. GALA is the story of their affair.

This tragicomic chamber opera from 'renaissance man Ergo Phizmiz' (The Wire) plays at Grimeborn for one night only.

A highly original voice in British music, Phizmiz has created award-winning radio pieces for the BBC, original albums and, most recently, a film score. This year he became the first composer-in-residence at the Hay Festival.

"One of the most inventive composers around ... a musical equivalent to Chris Morris" – BBC Radio 3

 

"The musical man-of-the-moment ..." – The Times

"Thanks for your beautiful, compelling, funny, crazy stuff. I listen to you while sitting at my drawing board. Keep up the fine work!" – Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons

"I strongly advise you try and attend. For those of you unfamiliar with the work of Ergo, he is an exceptionally difficult fellow to describe, he has over the years produced a body of work that crosses over every kind of music and sound imaginable.” – Tom Ravenscroft, New Statesman

"Not so much a one-man band as a one man movement" - The Wire Magazine

"Always accessible yet always otherworldly….It’s at moments like this when the quixotic notion of Ergo Phizmiz breaking through seems more than merely a slightly unhinged dream" – BBC Music Review

"Mad but mesmerising" – The Times

"Ergo is a completely English original who I think we should cherish deeply” – Sound Projector Magazine

"Eccentric, boundary testing, ridiculously different…In some ways you could say that Ergo Phizmiz is the complete artist…” – The Kaje

"With so many claims to eccentricity in today’s pop-culture, it’s hard to differentiate talent from cliché but Phizmiz’s art places him as the real deal." – The Upcoming

Ticket Information and Times

Sunday evening at 8pm
All tickets £10
Tickets are £10 or less with Arcola Passport
Running time: 30 minutes (no interval).
In Studio 1, seating is allocated.

New articles on Ergo Phizmiz and "GALA" in Animations Online, The Independent & Fulham Chronicle

"GALA" by Ergo Phizmiz opens Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival 2013.

Read an interview with Ergo Phizmiz on composing puppet opera, on Animations Online

 

Read a preview of "Gala" and Tête à Tête in Metro

Read a preview of "GALA" on Animations Online

Read an interview with Bill Bankes-Jones on directing "Gala" in Animations Online

Read a preview of Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival in The Independent

Read the Fulham Chronicle's preview of "Gala" and Tête à Tête


Read a preview of Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival in The Londonist

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Photos of "GALA" in rehearsal

Photos by Andrew Sabisky.

Book tickets for GALA.

"GALA" preview in Animations Online

Animations Online have published a preview of "GALA", the new puppet opera by Ergo Phizmiz, which opens this year's Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival.

'Comparing the musical landscape of ‘Gala’ to “a slightly gone-off Baroque Disneyland” which is “quite lush and romantic but with a really sour topping,” Phizmiz says he was also inspired by the soundtrack to Salvador Dali’s film ‘Un Chien Andalou’ (1929), which was backed with Argentinean tangos.' 

Read the full article here.

Listen to music from "Gala" below...

Book your tickets for "Gala", which plays at Riverside Studios, London, August 1st & 2nd.

"GALA" by Ergo Phizmiz, at Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival

GALA

Opening Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival, 2013

Thursday 1st & Friday 2nd August, 1900-1930

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Puppet Centre and Tête à Tête co-production in collaboration with Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance 

Music and Words: Ergo Phizmiz 

 Gala is a puppet-opera inspired by the aged Gala Dali’s rapacious relationship with Jeff Fenholt, a young actor then playing the role of Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway. 

In a collaboration springing from the 2012 Puppetry in Opera Conference, Tête à Tête works with Isobel Smith (Grist to the Mill), and puppeteers together with singers from Trinity Laban on a longer commission from Festival favourite Ergo Phizmiz following his 2012 Lite Bite Caring in the Community. 

Director: Bill Bankes-Jones 

Design/Puppetry: Isobel Smith 

Music Director: Timothy Burke 

Gala: Becca Marriott 

Jesus Christ Superstar: Alex Gilchrist 

Maid: Laura Monaghan 

Puppeteers: Isobel Smith, Teele Uustani, Darren East