Folk opera aboutRegent’s Canal |
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A preview of “Regent’s Canal” – a folk opera will be performed at London Canal
Museum at 7.30 pm on Friday 13th July to mark the 200th anniversary of Royal Assent for
the Regent’s Canal Bill. Script and songs are by Rob Inglis, musical arrangements by Bob
Stuckey and direction by John Dunne.
The canal’s architect Thomas Nash saw the canal as an adjunct to his grand scheme to transform London. He sings, “I plan a royal miles of stylish structures from Marylebone Park to Carlton Terrace, add the canal and the Prince Regent declares I shall rival Napoleon’s Paris.” The boisterous debate about the canal is sung in the folk opera: “As for the Prince Regent, he so mistreats the Queen we can’t have a canal that’s named after him!” John Nash will be played by Kai Simmons who has acted with UK companies Trestle, Tall Stories, Strangeface, Angel Exit and The Good Company. His touring has included the US, Alaska and Tehran. He has 25 roles to his credit, including Robert Browning, William Hogarth and many Shakespearean parts. Kai played Nash in workshop performances in 2008. Nash promotes his assistant architect, James Morgan to canal engineer. Morgan sings: “Me, engineer on the Regent’s Canal? Suddenly I’m not feeling too well.” Morgan soon faces an emergency in digging the Maida Hill Tunnel: “Three men injured in the tunnel, they’ve struck a spring and the tunnel’s flooding”. But Morgan completes the canal successfully, and his 900 metres Islington Tunnel is a triumph. Morgan is played by Andrew Boxer, whose experience includes repertory with Sheffield Crucible, Bolton Octagon, Belgrade Coventry, Oxford and Newcastle playhouses and national tours. He recently played the leading role in Machiavelli’s “The Mandrake” at Edinburgh and Martin Flynn in “Away in a Banger” for London Irish Theatre. His TV includes the lead in “Give us this Day” (Chanel 4). Andrew also co-founded Lock One Batik Gallery at Camden Lock and frequently cycles the canal for which he has great affection. William Agar, after whom Agar Grove and Agar Town were named, was a barrister vehemently opposed to the canal: “I’ll engineer chaos by means of the law, till Morgan can’t dig and Nash cannot deliver.” Agar is played by Ian McNaughton, who has acted with London Bubble Theatre for nine years, played Egeus in “Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Chelsea Theatre) and The Voice in “Under Milk Wood” (London Theatre, New Cross). |
Tour to follow |
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After the preview a tour of 13 canal side venues will commence on August 31 st at King
Place to celebrate the commencement of digging on the canal in 1812. In this tour Musical
Flying Squad have joined with London Irish Theatre so full justice can be done to the
navvies who dug the canal. John Dunne the director has produced and written numerous
plays for London Irish Theatre. Rob Inglis, producer, founded Musical Flying Squad in
2003 to dramatise local history. Bob Stuckie is a jazz pianist and singer who has been
musical director on numerous Musical Flying Squad productions.
Information: Rob Inglis, 020 7387 4942, email robinglis@artsxchange.co John Dunne, 07981 851 554, email info@londonirishtheatre.com |