Musical romp The Convict’s Opera at Manchester Library

Jan 25 2009 by Michael Green, Chester Chronicle

A CLASSIC 18th century musical romp comes to the Library Theatre in Manchester in February.

Max Stafford Clark’s new writing theatre company, Out of Joint, brings its production of The Convict’s Opera, a new adaptation of John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, to the Library from February 3-7.

A co-production between Out of Joint and the Sydney Theatre Company, The Convict’s Opera toured Australia during 2008 to great acclaim, and its visit to Manchester is part of a nine-venue tour of England.

The production is directed by Out of Joint’s artistic director, Max Stafford Clark, his first solo directing role since recovering from a stroke in 2006.

The Beggar’s Opera is regarded as the world’s first musical. The Convict’s Opera retains John Gay’s satirical story of love and crime, set in the dirty underbelly of 18th century London, but this time the story is set not in Newgate Prison with a beggar presenting his play; but on a creaking convict transport ship bound for Australia.

The cast are criminals, performing a show about the world they’ve left far behind and may never see again.

The new material is by Stephen Jeffreys, who wrote The Libertine for Out of Joint, which was subsequently made into a film starring Johnny Depp.

Felix Cross, artistic director of black music theatre company Nitro, and regular Out of Joint collaborator, has arranged the music, which includes some of Gay’s original choices alongside re-workings of pop classics including Sailing, Those Were the Days and I Fought the Law, all played by the 10-strong anglo-Australian cast.

The cast is made up of five British performers comprising actor and accordionist Thomas Eyre; actor and violinist Nicholas Goode; Royal Shakespeare Company actor Brian Protheroe, who also enjoyed a string of chart hits in the 1970s; and Out of Joint regulars Catherine Russell , and Karina Fernandez, who appeared in Mike Leigh’s film Happy Go Lucky.

The five Australian performers are Glenn Butcher, who has fronted Australia’s version of Playschool and has appeared in cult TV hit Kath and Kim; Amelia Cormack, who starred in the Australian stage version of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; Peter Cousens, who played the title role in The Phantom of the Opera in the West End; and Juan Jackson, who plays rakish highwayman Macheath.

Alt McGregor, a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, who plays the role of Polly Pachum, completes the cast.

The Convict’s Opera can be seen at the Library from February 3-7. Ring 0161 236 7110.