Details

Will Tuckett's 2007 production of the Brecht/Weill Seven Deadly Sins follows the story of Anna, a singer and dancer, as she travels around America trying to scrap money together so that she can build a home for her family. In each of the cities she visits, she encounters one of the seven deadly sins Tuckett is established as one of the foremost choreographers and directors working on stage and screen today. He has enjoyed great critical and audience acclaim for his productions on the Royal Opera House main stage, in the Linbury Studio Theatre, with Opera North, BBC and Channel 4. Mats Ek is famous for his vividly theatrical alternatives of the classics and his take on Georges Bizet's celebrated opera Carmen, which he created in 1992 for the Cullberg Ballet, is no exception. A predatory Carmen leads the sexual games, while the pathos of the piece is left for Don Jose. Mats Ek uses Bizet's score, transcribed for strings and percussion by Rodion Shehedrin, with designs by Marie-Louse Ekman that take a modern perspective on traditional Spanish motifs. DGV (Danse a grande vitesse), choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon is inspired by Michael Nyman's 26-minute long composition: MGV (Musique a grande vitesse), which was written to commemorate the inauguration of the French 'train a grande vitesse'. The 26 dancers and minimalist score work together to transport the audience through varying landscapes capturing the feeling of being suspended in time and space. With set designs by award-winning designer Jean-Marc Puissant, DGV returns following its critically-acclaimed world premiere at The Royal Opera House in 2006.

Cast/Performers

Rodion Shchedrin (percussion - Carmen)

Creatives/Company

Producer: Royal Ballet
Conductor(s): Martin Yates, Paul Murphy
Music(s): Kurt Weill (Seven Deadly Sins), Georges Bizet (Carmen), Rodion Shehedrin (music arrangement - Carmen), Michael Nyman (DGV - Danse a Grande Vitesse)
Author: Bertolt Brecht (Seven Deadly Sins)
Choreographer(s): William Tuckett (Seven Deadly Sins), Mats Ek (Carmen), Christopher Wheeldon (DGV - Danse a Grande Vitesse)
Design(s): Lez Brotherston (Seven Deadly Sins), Leo Warner (video - Seven Deadly Sins), Mark Grimmer (video for Fifty Nine Productions Limited - Seven Deadly Sins), Marie-Louise Ekman (Carmen), Jean-Marc Puissant (DGV - Danse a Grande Vitesse)
Lighting(s): Paule Constable (Seven Deadly Sins), Goran Westrup (Carmen), Jennifer Tipton (DGV - Danse a Grande Vitesse)
Other: Pompea Santoro (staging - Carmen)