LondonTheatre1

London Theatre: Tickets Reviews | News | West End | Off-West End | UK Touring Productions

Search for Tickets for London Shows
  • Home
  • Top Selling Shows
    • Musicals
    • & Juliet
    • Anything Goes
    • Back To The Future
    • Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club
    • Come From Away
    • Dear Evan Hansen
    • Dirty Dancing
    • Frozen The Musical
    • Heathers
    • Jersey Boys
    • Les Miserables
    • Mamma Mia
    • Mary Poppins
    • Matilda the Musical
    • My Fair Lady
    • Moulin Rouge
    • Only Fools and Horses
    • Pretty Woman the Musical
    • Six the Musical
    • The Book of Mormon
    • The Drifters Girl
    • The Lion King
    • The Phantom of the Opera
    • Tina the Musical
    • Wicked
    • Popular Plays in London
      • A Christmas Carol
      • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
      • The Mousetrap
      • The Woman in Black
      • Witness for the Prosecution
    • London Theatres
      • Seating Plans
      • Adelphi Theatre
      • Ambassadors Theatre
      • Duke of York’s Theatre
      • Fortune Theatre
      • Harold Pinter Theatre
      • Lyceum Theatre
      • New Wimbledon Theatre
      • New Wimbledon Theatre Studio
      • Piccadilly Theatre
      • Richmond Theatre
      • Trafalgar Theatre
  • News
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
  • ATG Tickets
    • Alexandra Theatre
    • Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
    • Brighton Theatre Royal
    • Bristol Hippodrome
      • Bristol Theatre Seating Plan
    • Edinburgh Playhouse
    • Glasgow Theatre Royal
    • Grand Opera House York
    • King’s Theatre Glasgow
    • Kit Kat Club London
    • Leas Cliff Hall
    • Liverpool Empire
    • Manchester Opera House
    • Manchester Palace Theatre
    • Milton Keynes Theatre
    • New Theatre Oxford
    • New Victoria Theatre Woking
    • New Wimbledon Theatre
    • New Wimbledon Theatre Studio
    • Princess Theatre Torquay
    • Regent Theatre Stoke
    • Rhoda McGaw Theatre
    • Richmond Theatre
    • Stockton Globe
    • Sunderland Empire
    • Swansea Arena
    • Victoria Hall Hanley Stoke
  • Dancewear
  • Newsletter
Home » London Theatre News » The Crocodile an opera by Llywelyn ap Myrddin

The Crocodile an opera by Llywelyn ap Myrddin

July 30, 2013 Last updated: July 5, 2017 1:16 am By Neil Cheesman

CrocodileThe Crocodile an opera by Llywelyn ap Myrddin based on a short story by Dostoyevksy

Age of Anxiety presents a comic and musically fascinating  opera based on a short story by Dostoyevksy as part of the 2013 Tète-a-Tète: The Opera Festival at Riverside Studios in August. Producer/director Alex Sutton and composer Llywelyn ap Myrddin collaborate on the production which stars a very large puppet crocodile.

The conductor is John Murton, set and costume design are by Benjamin Gerlis, and lighting design is by Christopher Nairne. The crocodile puppet is being designed and built by Roger and Julie Lade. Fleur Mellor is Producing in association with Age of Anxiety Productions.

The Crocodile tells the story of the showing of the great beast at a high society party at St. Petersburg University at the turn of the 19th/20th century. Surrounded by his acolytes, Dr. Philip Philipovich and his chums Semyon and Ivan are hard at work finalising the details of a pre-public press conference when disaster strikes and Ivan is devoured by the croc. What are Philip and Semyon to do?  And how to break the news to Ivan’s diva wife Elana!

Musically, the composer wanted to give The Crocodile the flavour of Russia but given the absurd nature of the work it became a collage with 19th century salon music rubbing up against 60’s jazz, tango, gospel and modernism.  The piece is a sharp and witty study of what happens when the logic of progress and culture starts to crumble around us, and we refuse to accept our fundamental desires.

The cast includes Peter Corry, James Soller, Leandros Taliotis, Kristy Swift, Graham Neal, Christina Petrou, Kris Belligh, Jane Webster and Alexander Beck. The Crocodile himself will be brought to life by puppeteer Caroline Mathias.

Llywelyn ap Myrddin is a composer from West Wales who trained at the Guildhall. This is his first opera. In addition to writing concert music he previously ran death jazz group Deathray Trebuchay, and is currently producing hip-hop. Llywelyn is also a broadcaster, at the moment planning a radio documentary on Russian bell ringing.

Alex Sutton trained at the VGIK Institute of Cinematography (Moscow), with Irina Brown, Lab Ky Mo and at the Video College. Alex was Curator of the Grimeborn New Opera and Music Theatre Festival at the Arcola Theatre in 2009, which was nominated for the Peter Brook Empty Space Ensemble Award. He also ran an education programme based on David Almond’s The Savage alongside Grimeborn which saw young people compose and perform their own opera based on the book. Alex’s production of The House and Mirrors and Hearts won an MTM Fringe First Award in 2010 and in 2011 he was associate producer on the Olivier Award winning production of La Boheme.

2013 marks the seventh  Tète-a-Tète: The Opera Festival at Riverside Studio under the artistic direction of Bill Bankes-Jones. Thirty four companies will offer over 100 performances at very reasonable prices, all ticketed, between 1-18 August. www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/the-crocodile

LONDON LISTINGS INFORMATION
Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, London W6 9RL
Thursday, 15 August and Friday, 16 August at 20.50
Shows lasts 1 hour 15 minutes, finishing at 22.05
£7.50/£5 concessions
Box Office for Tickets: 0209 7237 1111
www.riversidestudios.co.uk

Tuesday 30th July 2013

Sister Act Tickets

Interview with Jason Barnett – The Seagull, Harold Pinter Theatre

Following on from the return of the critically-acclaimed, five-star production of Cyrano de Bergerac, The Jamie Lloyd Company brings Chekhov’s tale of … [Read More...]

UK Tour of Annie Announced for 2023

Michael Harrison and David Ian are delighted to announce that their smash hit production of the musical ANNIE will embark on a UK tour opening at … [Read More...]

The Phantom of the Opera Extends Booking Until 4 March 2023

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at Her Majesty’s Theatre is delighted to announce that booking is extended to Saturday 4 March 2023, with a new performance … [Read More...]

2:22 – A Ghost Story extend its run at The Criterion Theatre

Producer Runaway Entertainment is delighted to announce that the critically acclaimed, smash hit, supernatural thriller 2:22 - A Ghost Story will … [Read More...]

COME FROM AWAY will play final performance in West End January 2023

The multi-award-winning London production of global hit musical Come From Away will extend in the West End from September until the end of the year … [Read More...]

London Theatre 1 and London Theatre One are Registered Trademarks Copyright 2022 www.LondonTheatre1.com
By using our website you’re confirming that you’re happy to accept our use of cookies.
Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising - About Us - Newsletter - Contact Us

As an Amazon Associate our website receives a commission from qualifying purchases from Amazon.