WORK, LOVE, GROOVE
The title is lifted from an obituary in The Independent,long before the show was concieved of. Jean-Bedel Bokassa crowned himself Emperor of the Central African Republic in a ceremony described as “Pure pantomime, lurid and insane”. Eventually we returned to the subject of the obituary as a starting point for what, at some point, clearly had to become a musical, kind of.
Set in a political rally it shows how a charismatic, newlyelected president is consumed by ego and becomes a deranged dictator. The storydevelops in the course of a concert. The President’s cabinet are a band, he is thelead singer and the audience are members of the ruling party. The show is funny,and playful with serious subject matter, the music is excellent.
Arrival
Welcome
Party Song
Manifesto
Testify
My Way
Church
I Had A Dream
Vita
In Lancaster and Birmingham the show was trailed by a radio station People’s Radio Freedom, run by our compatriots Hamfisted!
Lurid and Insane has been made, but it has only just begun.
PARTY CARD
Party Members :
On Stage
Violin : Amanda Hadingue
Bass : Graeme Rose
Keyboards : Craig Stephens
Voice : Andy Watson
Drums : Simon Webb
Guitar : Nina West
Off Stage
Testifying : Heather Burton
Original Testimony : Sarah Dawson
Roadie plus : Emma Deegan
Uniforms : Helen Ingham
Lights plus : Paul Arvidson
Music Direction : Brian Duffy
Direction : James Yarker with Amanda Hadingue
Photos : Ed Dimsdale
Print : Simon Ford
Education : Charlotte Goodwin
Party Staff
Emily Dawkes
Paulette Brien
Party Thanks Due To
Blissbody
Nuffield Theatre Studio
Stan’s Cafe board
Peter Fletcher, Catherine O’Flynn and Sarah Rogers
Syd Ewart
Security Guards
People’s Radio Freedom by Hamfisted!
Funded by The Arts Council, West Midlands Arts and Birmingham City Council,the show has also been commissioned by the Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster.
The President is grateful.
Tour Dates
-
23rd August 2003:
The Bongo Club, Edinburgh -
9th November 2001:
A gig venue near MAC, Birmingham -
6th November 2001:
A cellar bar near Studio Theatre, Leeds -
16th – 19th October 2001:
A barn in the countryside near Nuffield Theatre Studio, Lancaster
