The hazards of love, the wonder of magic, and the mysteries of the universe collide in The Fabulist, a joyous and fast-paced feast of musical comedy.
Italy, 1929. Illusionist-extraordinaire and outlawed heretic Julian finds himself on the run from Mussolini and the Catholic church. Stumbling upon a film shoot, he dazzles screenwriter Clarice with his magical skills and easygoing charm. But how can you trust a man whose life is built on illusion? And what will happen as the regime closes in on him?
Giovanni Paisiello, one of the most famous composers of his time ((1740-1816), was famed for his bubbly, colourful and fun-filled operettas. Combining some of his most sublime music with a brand new libretto, The Fabulist is both a forgotten classic and a modern tale of romance and self-discovery.
The Fabulist, with book and lyrics by James Farwell, is based on Paisiello’s opera The Imaginary Astrologer, Catherine the Great’s favourite, written specially for her. Paisiello, who heavily influenced Rossini but with a lighter tone, was the favourite composer of both Catherine and Napoleon, for whom he composed Coronation music.
Cast:
Dan Smith (Julian) is a member of The Magic Circle, and performs on stage as Debra Kadabra. His stage roles include many pantomimes as an Ugly Sister. TV includes both series of ITV’s Popstar to Operastar.
James Paterson (Count Petronius) made his London debut in the original production of The Phantom Of The Opera, creating the roles of Don Attilio and Passarino. Within six months he played the title role when Michael Crawford was indisposed. He also played M. Andre and over 10 years served as Resident Director for the National Tours and the London production.
Stuart Pendred (Cardinal Bandini) is the Founder & Artistic Director of Oxford Opera Company. He has worked in opera, TV, musicals, theatre, radio and as a singer songwriter, recording albums both solo and as part of Tenors UnLimited.
Constantine Andronikou (Puppupini) was Sancho Panza in Don Quixote (Cyprus Antilogos Theatre), Chorus Leader in Lysistrata (Cyprus National Theatre), Chorus Leader in Medea (Antilogos Theatre).
Réka Jónás (Clarice) was Olympia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Hungarian State Opera).
Lily De La Haye (Cassandra) was 1st Cover Carlotta in The Phantom of the Opera (His Majesty’s Theatre) and Jennyanydots, understudy Grizabella & Jellylorum in Cats.
Jack Holton (Alternate Julian) was until recently a Young Artist on the Global Talent Programme at the National Opera Studio. He is the grateful recipient of a Help Musicians Sybil Tutton Opera Award, an Opera Awards Foundation Bursary, winner of the Musicians’ Company 2022 Saloman Seelig Award.
Marienella Phillips (Alternate: Cassandra and Clarice). Recent roles include Jaquenetta in Love’s Labour’s Lost (RSC) and Tuptim in The King and I (Dominion, West End, UK & Ireland tour).
Creative team:
Director John Walton
Musical Director & Orchestrator Bobby Goulder
Movement Director Sean Kempton
Set and Costume Designer David Shields
Lighting Designer Fridthjofur Thorsteinsson
Sound Designer Andrew Johnson
Magic Consultant Harry De Cruz
Casting Director Debbie O’Brien
Producer Steven Levy for Charing Cross Theatre Productions
James P. Farwell (Book & Lyrics)
James P. Farwell is a writer and national security expert. He is a Senior Fellow at Sympodium - the Institute for Strategic Communication - based in London; a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute; and a Senior Fellow at the Washington-based Institute for Bio-Defense research. His screenplay, Mona Lisa, produced by Carol Bidault (producer of Dali Land, with Sir Ben Kingsley), is slated for production later this year. He has just completed a novel, The Movie Star.
Giovanni Paisielloi (Music)
Giovanni Paisielloi (1740 to 1816) was one of the most successful and influential opera composers of his day. Most of his 80-plus operas are comic, simple and direct, getting to the plot more quickly and keeping it moving - a style different from previous composers. He is today primarily known for writing, in 1782, the “other” Barber of Seville opera (the more famous version, composed by Gioacchino Rossini, premiered a few months before Paisiello’s death). His colourful scoring and warm melodies influenced Mozart, who composed his Marriage of Figaro as a sequel to Paisiello’s Barber. A long period ensued when Paisiello was nearly forgotten, but a 1960s recording of his Barber of
Seville enabled the public to recognise its merits. It has regained a limited place in the operatic repertory. Paisiello also wrote church music, including eight masses, and also composed motets,
cantatas, oratorios, keyboard concertos, and string quartets.
John Walton (Director)
John Walton is a director and dramaturg whose work spans comedy, opera, circus and theatre. Theatre includes Instructions for American Serviceman in Britain (Jermyn Street Theatre, Theatre 59E59 New York, UK Tour), Around the Globe in Sixty Minutes (Pop-up Globe, Melbourne), The North! The North! (Edinburgh Fringe & UK Tour). Opera includes The Knife of Dawn (Roundhouse, London) and Tan-Tan & Dry Bone (ENO & ROH).
THE FABULIST
Music by Giovanni Paisiello
Book and Lyrics by James P. Farwell
Directed by John Walton
Charing Cross Theatre
The Arches
Villiers Street
London WC2N 6NL
www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk
Box office: 08444 930650
The box office is open from 2 hours
before curtain time on performance days for personal callers
12 August - 21 September
Press Night:
Monday 19 August at 7.30pm
Performances:
Tuesday - Saturday at 7.30pm
Wednesday at 2.30pm
Saturday & Sunday at 3.00pm
Tickets from £20.00
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