Riders to the Sea by Ralph Vaughan Williams and JM Synge in a new orchestration by Michael Betteridge. With a new dramatic prologue, The Last Bit of the Moon, composed by Michael Betteridge, and written by ArtfulScribe’s Community Sirens Collective led by Antosh Wojcik.
A man haunted by the ghosts of his past, finds himself drawn back to his family home and the memory of a great loss.
Partnered with a new dramatic prologue, The Last Bit of the Moon, Riders to the Sea tells the story of a family, Maurya, Bartley, Kathleen and Nora and a seemingly inevitable chain of events.
Combining projection, recorded sound and live performance this is musical storytelling at its most visceral.
Age Guidance: 12+
Please note: there are references to trauma and grief
Post Show Discussion
Join us for a post-show Q&A on Tuesday 25 February with the OperaUpClose artistic director Flora McIntosh, composer Michael Betteridge and librettist Antosh Wojcik, alongside cast members Lauren Young & Neil Balfour, chaired by The North Wall director, Ria Parry.
Access Information
The show is captioned throughout, as part of the production design.
Photo credit: Rich Southgate
Cast
Lauren Young – Maurya
Neil Balfour – Bartley
Susie Buckle – Nora
Tom Lilburn – Moon
Julia Mariko – Cathleen
Bryony Middleton – Oboe
Ilona Suomalainen– Accordion and Music Direction
Emily Wilson – Clarinet
Dive Deeper into Riders to the Sea
If you are interested in learning more, check out some of the articles below! Just click on the titles to open them.
To read JM Synge’s play and the text for The Last Bit of the Moon
Michael Betteridge – 15 facts
Dive into the Key Themes
Q&A with Director Flora McIntosh
Q&A with Composer Michael Betteridge
Download the Riders to the Sea Digital Programme
Riders to the Sea generously supported by the Big Give, The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, Hinrichsen Foundation and Vaughan Williams Foundation
