Kenny at the Globe
When the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment were invited to dream up chamber programmes for the beautiful new indoor Playhouse at London’s Globe theatre, they asked Southampton's Head of Early Music, lutenist Elizabeth Kenny, for ideas.
Connecting seventeenth century theatre with music is one of her research interests and two programmes emerged which are being developed and performed this month: an English-translation version of Moliere’s Le Malade Imaginaire (The Hypochondriac), and a Restoration Tempest.
Both pieces emerged during the craze for combining musical with spoken shows in the 1670s, the former in Paris, the latter in London. The Hypochondriac is being performed at the Globe on November 3 and 9, and The Tempest – in its adaptation by Dryden and Shadwell with music by Locke and Bannister - on January 25 and 26. Both shows are concerts in the Sam Wanamaker candelight series, with the plays abridged by stage director Caroline Williams. Videos on the Globe website include an interview with Kenny and the Globe’s Head of Music, Bill Barclay, and some enthusiastic audience responses to the first night.
