No Woody Guthrie thread until now?
This from the latest FolkWax e-zine. Jela, did you know?
U.K.-based arts organization Interplay will stage the U.K. premiere of This Land - The Story Of Woody Guthrie at Wakefield's Theatre Royal on April 25. The show tracks the career of the American Folk icon from the dustbowls of Oklahoma to the bright lights of New York City. The show is performed in a unique portable dome that has been custom-built for Interplay's productions and can accommodate up to 100 audience members.
"It's a bit like sitting in a large canvas igloo," explained Interplay's Artistic Director Steve Byrne. "The audience are so close to the action that they become totally immersed in the performance which transports them back through time to the dust storms and depression of 1930s America."
The show was researched and written by Byrne and all the songs and words are taken from recordings of Guthrie's interviews and performances. The result is an atmospheric interweaving of his life story told mainly through the medium of his songs, and centers on Huntington's Chorea, the hereditary degenerative illness from which both Guthrie and his mother died. Each of the four male actors in the show plays Guthrie at different stages of his life and a single actress takes on the role of all Woody's female relatives and wives.
To book tickets for Wakefield Theatre Royal, contact the box office on 01924 211 311. Further confirmed dates so far include Dorchester Arts Festival May 28, Exeter Festival June 18, Glastonbury Festival June 22-24, and Crawley Folk Festival June 29. For more information on Interplay call 01484 683756.
KarenZ