upfront
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
IT’S October – which doesn’t just mean that Halloween is round the corner and that
it’s time to start collecting conkers. It also means that Black History Month is well
on its way.
Each year, Black History Month hosts a wonderful programme of events designed to
highlight the achievements and contributions black people have made to British society.
Throughout the month there will be plenty of different activities to get involved with;
from movie screenings and musical workshops to theatre and dance productions.
Events include Grammy award-winning r'n'b artist John Legend, at Cardiff’s
Motorpoint Arena on Thurs 9 Oct, a performance by venerable singer Joan
Armatrading at Newport's Riverfront on Mon 13 and a dance performance from
Brazilian dance company Grupo Corp on Tue 14 and Wed 15.
On Sat 25 Oct, for the sixth year, the Wales Millennium Centre will host the month’s
big finale, with music, dancing, good food and good company. Panafest Cymru
will be kicking off the proceedings with a performance of song, dance, drumming,
poetry, visual arts and theatre from local artists. There will also be the upbeat
sounds of London-based steel band Solid Steel and a combination of traditional and
contemporary West African dance and music from Ballet Nimba.
There will be plenty of music from BBC Wales Horizons artists, including all-girl
hip-hop group Baby Queens and Welsh-speaking singer-songwriter Kizzy Meriel
Crawford, choral music from Swansea Gospel Choir, and classic songs with a
modern twist from Wales Millennium Centre’s own urban choir Hard Côr.
The Big Talent School will putting on a performance of segregation-defying musical
Hairspray. Enjoy an extract from one of the hippest musicals in the West End
presented by young, local aspiring performers.
There will also be dance in the form of Tavaziva Ten, a stunning and seductive
collection of five-minute dance pieces performed in the Weston Studio. Eight
dancers will perform these 10 short, beautiful pieces depicting the extraordinary
imagination of Artistic Director, Bawren. HEATHER ARNOLD
Black History Month, various venues across South Wales, until
Sat 25 Oct. Tickets: individual events priced separately / some
events free. Info: hwww.bhmwales.org.uk
TALKING ABOUT
THE TRIAL
WHAT do you get when you combine the most successful and the most popular
living contemporary classical composer with one of the most influential authors of
the 20th century? A modern opera!
Throw in renowned British playwright Christopher Hampton and Cardiff-based
opera company Music Theatre Wales and you have The Trial – an opera scored by
Philip Glass and based on Franz Kafka’s book of the same name.
“It’s a fantastic story by Kafka,” explains Michael McCarthy, Artistic Director of Music
Theatre Wales. “In our language we have the term ‘Kafkaesque’ and the easy way to
describe that is people who are stuck in a mindless, endless bureaucracy. Like when
you’re stuck in the bank pursuing some complaint and it takes you days, and weeks,
and months to get it sorted. Or trying to get your phone connected, and it takes you
forever and you go ‘oh this bureaucracy, this is mad!’ The computer says no. So that’s
the world in which the central character finds himself, and the brilliance is that the
story opens with this bizarre occurrence.
“Two men turn up in this guy’s bedroom and they tell him he’s under arrest.
They never tell him why, they never tell him what for, they give him no help to find
the courtroom. He has to follow his instincts to try and fight the system but the
system completely and utterly resists every turn and twist he takes, and ultimately
manipulates him through to a very rather sad and miserable end.”
But are they taking a risk moving away from the opera classics?
“I think the opera world does generally stick to a very, very small repertoire. That’s
inevitable over the history of opera which is 300, 350 years. But for me, the next
thing is to say ‘well, what are they going to be listening to in 50, 100, or 350 years'
time? There must be new works as well.’ That’s where the excitement for me is. In
the creativity, in artists living today, thinking about today, responding to today! That,
for me, couldn’t be any more exciting.” HEATHER ARNOLD
The Trial, Sherman Cymru, Cardiff, Fri 7 Nov. Tickets: £7.50-£25.
Info: 029 2064 6900 / www.shermancymru.co.uk
BUZZ 26
Watch our interview
with Michael McCarthy on
Buzz TV at
www.youtube.com/
buzzmagtv