Real-life testimonies of war correspondents form the foundations of a new performance by the critically acclaimed team behind Dalston Songs.
Based on the personal experiences of journalists, critically acclaimed composer Helen Chadwick and Olivier Award winning choreographer and co-founder of Frantic Assembly Steven Hoggett present the world premiere of War Correspondents, a new song-cycle performance, coinciding with the centenary of the First World War.
The performance, which is the second collaboration between the two artists, weaves together sound extracts of interviews and wartime poetry with original choreography and musical composition to depict the extraordinary stories and life changing experiences of war journalists from across the world who risk their lives in extreme circumstances.
While reporting an outbreak of war, a journalist is held at gunpoint, caught in the no-man's land between two nations.
War Correspondents has been co-commissioned by Greenwich and Docklands International Festival, Sage Gateshead, New Writing North for Durham Book Festival, and is the second song theatre performance created by composer Helen Chadwick and choreographer Steven Hoggett following the success of Dalston Songs, commissioned by the Royal Opera House.
The work has been in development for six years. During this time, Helen Chadwick and designer Miriam Nabarro interviewed war correspondents with experience of conflicts in Iraq, Chechnya, Georgia, Afghanistan, Liberia and Bosnia.
Helen Chadwick is a British musician and singer who has written more than 200 songs, mainly for unaccompanied voices.
She has made six solo albums and several with other artists.
She composes for radio, theatre, and opera and creates song theatre performances, both solo and with her group.
As a singer she has worked with Meredith Monk, Orlando Gough and for the Royal National Theatre.
Recently she has created, composed and sung in Dalston Songs and The Singing Circle, both commissioned by the Royal Opera House.
Steven Hoggett is the winner of 2009 Olivier award for Best Theatre Choreographer for the National Theatre of Scotland's Black Watch.
He was nominated for a Tony Award for Once on Broadway and nominated for an Olivier Award for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.
He is the co-founder of Frantic Assembly, whose credits with the company include Lovesong, Beautiful Burnout, Stockholm, Pool (No Water) and Dirty Wonderland.
Other recent credits include The Light Princess (National Theatre), The Full Monty (Sheffield Theatres), Rigoletto (Metropolitan Opera), The Wolves in the Walls (National Theatre of Scotland).
War Correspondents can be seen in the Emlyn Williams Theatre at Clwyd Theatr Cymru in Mold from May 29-30. Call 0845 330 3565 or visit www.clwyd-theatr-cymru.co.uk.
