Frankenstein set loose on the world

Exciting times! My opera, The Genesis of Frankenstein will be premiered on October 28 and 29, conducted by Noah Mosley and directed by Ella Marchment, as part of the Helios Collective's Toi, Toi, Toi an evening of new music theatre at CLF Art Cafe, at wonderful arts space created from a 120 year old warehouse in Peckham (133 Rye Lane, SE15 5ST).

The opera is a chamber piece lasting 20 or so minutes, with a text which I have adapted from Mary Shelley's novel. Written for three singers and four instrumentalists it uses Frankenstein’s own words to examine the genesis of his obsession with creating a new human life and his subsequent revulsion from the monster. Opening with the dramatic moment when the monster comes alive, the work then traces the path of the obsession ending with the monster’s own poignant words. The three voices play different aspects of Frankenstein’s psyche and interact, coming together to narrate and to form the voice of the monster.

The full line up for the Toi, Toi, Toi evenings will include, Matt Huxley and Kieran Brunt as Strange Boy. Tomoya Forster and the General Skank Band will add a flavour of reggae, Florian Aikinmade singer-songwriter, Victoria Mulley performing Try Me Good King, Mimi Doulton performing King Harald's Saga, two new Helios Collective commissions including another scene from Noah Mosley's July 20th 1944 about an attempt to assassinate Hitler and my Genesis of Frankenstein.

There will be video screenings of Shadwell opera projects directed by Jack Furness, as well as Ergo Phizmiz' Vogel Europa a piece about travelling and difficult decisions for piano, voice and turntable, Finnish composer Miika's live composition project questioning how we react to space, The Hermes Experiment's Metropolis that is a new, semi-improvised piece that puts instruments in dialogue with the sounds of the city. Frederick Moehn and the Embaúba Ensemble will perform The voice in bossa nova, morna, fado incorporating Portuguese and Brazilian music into the mix. All this and more, including DJ-after party including Miles Russell and Thomas and Richard Jones.

Further details follow, but do save the date. Noah Mosley and my pieces will be performed each evening with a different line up round them.