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Charlotte Church in contemporary reboot of The Little Mermaid Charlotte Church in contemporary reboot of The Little Mermaid
(35 minutes later)
Charlotte Church has created a new musical version of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Little Mermaid which she said will address some of society’s biggest issues. Charlotte Church has created a new musical version of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Little Mermaid which she says will address some of society’s biggest issues.
The singer has conceived and will star in a production called The Last Mermaid, commissioned by a new international arts festival in Cardiff called Festival of Voice. The singer will star in the production, The Last Mermaid, commissioned by Festival of Voice, a new international arts festival in Cardiff.
The festival on Thursday announced a programme that will include Bryn Terfel singing with Van Morrison; Juliette Gréco, one of France’s greatest recording artists, making a rare UK appearance; and a line up of further star names which will include John Cale, Laura Mvula and Anna Calvi. The festival’s programme will also include Bryn Terfel singing with Van Morrison; Juliette Gréco, one of France’s most popular recording artists, making a rare UK appearance; as well as John Cale, Laura Mvula and Anna Calvi.
Related: Charlotte Church: pop star turned reluctant champion of the leftRelated: Charlotte Church: pop star turned reluctant champion of the left
Organisers, the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, want the June event to be on a par with Europe’s best festivals such as Edinburgh, Manchester and Avignon. The organisers, the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff, want the June event to be on a par with Europe’s best festivals such as Edinburgh, Manchester and Avignon.
Church said The Little Mermaid had always been a part of her life and the first song she ever performed publicly, aged 7, had been the Disney song Part of Your World. Church said The Little Mermaid had always been a part of her life and the first song she ever performed in public, aged seven, had been the Disney song Part of Your World.
The Last Mermaid will be different from Disney, however. Church said it will address what we are doing to our oceans and the importance of building connections when society is becoming increasingly disparate. She said: “There is so much noise, there is so much information. With the internet and the way our modern world is now … does that give us more of a voice? With this production we wanted to tackle challenging issues affecting our world in a way that is optimistic and hopeful.” The Last Mermaid will be different from Disney, however. Church said it would address the environmental threat to our oceans and the importance of building connections in an increasingly disparate society.
She said: “There is so much noise, there is so much information. With the internet and the way our modern world is now … does that give us more of a voice? With this production we wanted to tackle challenging issues affecting our world in a way that is optimistic and hopeful.”
Church has co-created the production with Jonathan Powell and Siôn Trefor. She said: “It is not musical theatre, it’s not really an opera, it has lots of contemporary classical elements and electronica. I have never seen anything like we’re trying to do, so if we achieve it, it will be great.”Church has co-created the production with Jonathan Powell and Siôn Trefor. She said: “It is not musical theatre, it’s not really an opera, it has lots of contemporary classical elements and electronica. I have never seen anything like we’re trying to do, so if we achieve it, it will be great.”
The festival’s director, Graham Farrow, said it was the first time so many of the big cultural organisations in Wales had collaborated on such a large scale. He said: “We share a vision and goal to create a lasting and transformative effect on the perception of Wales, taking its rightful place as an international centre for music and above all at the heart of the celebration of the human voice: the greatest instrument we have.” The festival’s director said it was the first time so many of the big cultural organisations in Wales had collaborated on such a large scale. Graham Farrow said: “We share a vision and goal to create a lasting and transformative effect on the perception of Wales, taking its rightful place as an international centre for music and above all at the heart of the celebration of the human voice: the greatest instrument we have.”
Terfel, one of the world’s most in-demand opera singers, will perform for two nights at Llandaff Cathedral as well as appearing as a guest of Van Morrison at Wales Millennium Centre. Terfel will perform for two nights at Llandaff Cathedral as well as appearing as a guest of Van Morrison at Wales Millennium Centre.
Other highlights of the festival will include a performance of Francis Poulenc’s one-act opera La Voix Humane in a modern Cardiff flat for an audience of just 35 people at a time, and a play inspired by the true story of the Cwm Taf Choir, a group of singers living with dementia. Other highlights of the festival include a performance of Francis Poulenc’s one-act opera La Voix Humaine in a modern Cardiff flat for an audience of just 35 people at a time, and a play inspired by the true story of the Cwm Taf choir, a group of singers living with dementia.
The festival, which runs 3-12 June, is being backed by Arts Council Wales and the Colwinston Charitable Trust, a philanthropic organisation set up by Agatha Christie’s grandson Matthew Prichard which is funded by royalties from the world’s longest running play, The Mousetrap. The festival, which runs from 3-12 June, is backed by Arts Council Wales and the Colwinston Charitable Trust, a philanthropic organisation set up by Agatha Christie’s grandson Matthew Prichard, which is funded by royalties from the world’s longest running play, The Mousetrap.
• The Last Mermaid runs at Festival of Voice from 4-12 June 2016.• The Last Mermaid runs at Festival of Voice from 4-12 June 2016.