Preview Skin Deep and Let 'Em Eat Cake

World and UK Premieres from Opera North

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Preview: Skin Deep and Let 'Em Eat Cake

Here are two rather dark, yet modern-themed productions, from Opera North to mark the start of their 2008-9 winter season. David Sawer’s new operetta Skin Deep, having its world premiere, offers a satirical look at the young, the beautiful and the celebrity. Setting a text by comedy writer and broadcaster Armando Iannucci, it centres on the clinic of cosmetic surgery genius, Doktor Needlemeier, whose mantra “putting right what nature got wrong” draws in shameless film-star, Luke Pollock, as his client. Needlemeier offers extensions, extractions and extrusions for the extroverted, and an elusive elixir for the elite. When you need a face lift to get your ratings up, no-one will raise an eyebrow.

The cast is taken from the long list of ON favourites: Geoffrey Dolton (Needlemeier), Janis Kelly (his wife, Lania) and Heather Shipp (Donna, the receptionist). The love interest is provided by Amy Freston (Needlemeier’s daughter, Elsa) and Robert Tortise (her beau). Skin Deep is directed by Richard Jones, who oversaw the 2001 revival of Debussy’s Pélleas et Mélisande, and conducted by Richard Farnes.

Gershwin’s Let ‘Em Eat Cake is designed to follow Of Thee I Sing - which featured in the company’s Autumn season. There, John P Wintergreen got both the girl, Mary Turner, and the U.S. presidency. The sequel, timed for this month’s inauguration, sees a darkening of the political climate. Wintergreen goes for re-election and is defeated, so he and Mary set up shop in New York selling blue shirts. A malcontent called Kruger predicts impending revolution and this prompts the ex-President to start his own. After all, it is the 1930s and economic gloom prevails. Italy has its blackshirts, Germany its brown. Why not blueshirts for America?

The principals from Of Thee I Sing resume their roles: William Dazeley as Wintergreen, Bibi Heal as Mary and Steven Beard as Vice-President Throttlebottom. Caroline Gawn directs once more. Gershwin recognised that Let ‘em Eat Cake held the ingredients of his best music. Its fine, slyly playful score includes the stunningly chromatic ‘Blue, Blue, Blue’ and ‘Comes The Revolution’, and the outstanding ‘Mine’.
Skin Deep, 24 and 30 January, 4 and 11 Feb, Grand Theatre, Let ‘em Eat Cake, 29 and 31 January and 6, 13, and 14 February, Grand Theatre

Posted on Thursday 22nd January 2009
TT

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