The Grief of Red Granny
17 February 1934. King Albert climbs the cliffs of Rocher du Bon Dieu in Marche-les-Dames and falls to his death. Reportedly, two million Belgians attended the funeral procession, yet according to protocol, Queen Elisabeth was not even allowed to be present at her husband's funeral.
Run time tba
Genre Theatre
Language English, French, German and Dutch (performance) & Latin, Xhosa, Zulu (vocals)
Surtitles Dutch
The Grief of Red Granny
The Grief of Red Granny is the first part of a diptych about individual and collective grief. In his new AfrOpera, Gorges Ocloo focuses on Elisabeth, the third queen of the Belgians, also known as the Red Granny. Through her story, he gives voice to those who have not had the opportunity to individually bid farewell to their loved ones: victims of wars, pandemics, terrorist attacks, and more.
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In his distinctive surrealistic visual language, Ocloo portrays the enigmatic queen in the Garden of Eden. Here, from her ‘afterlife,’ Elisabeth reflects on her life and addresses us. She is accompanied by six angels: three singers and three musicians, all from South Africa. The musical leitmotif is Pergolesi's Stabat Mater. "I will bring Pergolesi to my Voodoo church," says Ocloo. For his radical arrangement of this famous composition, he draws inspiration from African funerals. It's a musical confrontation between cultures, a universal sound of sorrow and celebration at the same time.
Credits
actor Tine Joustra
soprano Nobulumko Mngxekeza-Nziramasanga
mezzosoprano Nonkululeko Nkwinti
basso profondo Ntuthuko Ziqubu
guitars Charlton Daniels
cello Dane Coetzee
drums/percussion Carla Williams
sound design Victor Hidalgo
production Toneelhuis and LOD muziektheater
in collaboration with Artscape Theatre Centre Cape Town (ZA)
with support of the Diplomatic Representation of Flanders in South Africa, the Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government, Gallop Tax Shelter, Sabam for Culture
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