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Details

The Knot Garden, with a libretto by the composer, has a typically enigmatic title. The elaborate Elizabethan Knot Garden often resembled a maze - and the reference to Shakespeare s time is underlined by numerous references to The Tempest. The enchantment and isolation, which are such powerful themes in Shakespeare s play, are put into a late twentieth-century context by Tippett. To this is added a web of psychological disturbance - where the maze of the garden becomes a metaphor for the labyrinth of human thoughts and relationships. The cast includes an analyst, Mangus, whose role as Master of Ceremonies in the final act is decisive. The Knot Garden was brave and controversial at the time of its first performance in 1970. Two of the main characters - the bisexual black writer Mel and his white friend Dov, a musician - are probably the first openly gay couple to appear in an opera. It is their relationship, grown fragile, around which much of the plot revolves. First performed in 1970, Tippett s third opera involves a psychological exploration of a group of contemporary characters, and frequently invokes parallels with The Tempest. One of Tippett s most eclectic scores, it shows the influence of jazz, and even of the pop music of the 1960s (an electric guitar is included in the orchestra) as well as one of Tippett s great loves, the songs of Franz Schubert.

Creatives/Company

Music: Michael Tippett

What's On By Year ...

Archive listings for The Knot Garden (2005)

Work type: Opera or Operetta.

T325329689

In celebration of the composer's centenary.Producer Music Theatre Wales. Producer Royal Opera House. Director Michael McCarthy. Conductor Michael Rafferty. Lighting Ace McCarron. Design Jane Wilson. Design Louise Wilson. Performer Helen Field. Performer Jeremy Huw Williams. Performer Gwion Thomas. Performer Elizabeth Watts. Performer Lucy Schaufer. Performer Christopher Lemmings. Performer Rodney Clarke.
8 Jul 05 to 9 Jul 05New Theatre, Cardiff :: V823
listing details L01887535902
5 Jul 05Theatr Clwyd, Mold :: V810
listing details L1838020216
3 Jun 05Theatre Royal, Bath :: V854
listing details L01386415409
10 May 05Anvil Arts, Basingstoke :: V765
listing details L1803161463
30 Apr 05 to 4 May 05Royal Opera House, West End :: V377
listing details L01429413047

T584547117

Sung in English. Running time 2 hours (one interval)Company Scottish Opera. Conductor Richard Armstrong. Director Antony McDonald. Design Antony McDonald. Design Juliette Blondelle (associate). Lighting Giuseppe di Iorio. Performer Peter Savidge (Mangus). Performer Jane Irwin (Thea). Performer Rachel Nicholls (Flora). Performer Hilton Marlton (Dov). Performer Derrick Parker (Mel). Performer Rachel Hynes (Denise).
19 Jan 05 to 29 Jan 05Theatre Royal, Glasgow :: V623
listing details L01068275458

Other listings

14 Jul 05 to 21 Jul 05Buxton Opera House, Buxton :: V424
listing details L1963994851

Reviews

No UKTW or User reviews available.
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CORONAVIRUS: All venues in the UK were shut down on March 16, 2020, and the restrictions were finally lifted on July 19, 2021. It is important to mention that the UK Theatre Web archive listings (iUKTDb) from March 2020 to July 2021 might not be accurate due to the lack of information regarding rescheduled and cancelled shows.

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