Archived

The Threepenny
Opera

By Bertolt Brecht
Directed by Benedict Andrews
Music by Kurt Weill
Lyrics translated by Jeremy Sams
Book translated by Raimondo Cortese

  • Venue Upstairs Theatre
  • Dates 06 Nov – 21 Dec 2003

    Brecht’s first major collaboration with Kurt Weill is now taken for granted as a masterpiece of twentieth century music theatre, but at its premiere it blew Berlin apart. It was modern, sexy, shot through with urgent, anti-capitalist politics, unashamedly shabby, full of hit tunes but with brutally honest or shockingly street-wise lyrics. A noisy hotchpotch of stock operetta characters, American jazz, John Gay’s eighteenth century world of thieves, pimps and whores recast in mythical Victorian London and all refracted through the feral prism of Weimar cabaret. Seventy-five years on it is still an explosive work. Its classic status has too often set it at a comfortable distance, but in the world of sports-shoe sweatshops and stockpiled food its questions still roar. Benedict Andrews’ new production, using Jeremy Sams’ brilliant new English lyrics, will unleash the beast.

    Team

    By Bertolt Brecht
    Directed by Benedict Andrews
    Music by Kurt Weill
    Lyrics translated by Jeremy Sams
    Book translated by Raimondo Cortese
    Musical Director Alan John
    Set Design Robert Cousins
    Costume Design Jodie Fried
    Lighting Design Damien Cooper

    Cast

    Paula Arundell
    Bob Bertles
    Blazey Best
    Nicholas Coghlan
    Craig Driscoll
    Anni Finsterer
    Wayne Freer
    Pippa Grandison
    Alan John
    Justin Kearin
    Kris McQuade
    Robert Menzies
    Robert Morgan
    Wayne Pygram
    Terry Serio
    Justin Smith
    Simon Sweeney
    Matt Whittet
    Ursula Yovich

    Production images by Mark Rogers

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