Whirlwind (2006)
1 act opera
libretto by Ben Dunwell
1 hour
Commissioned by Streetwise Opera
Based on historical events at Hallsands, Devon in 1917 and New Orleans in 2005. The tale of the lost Devon village of Hallsands, destroyed in a great storm in 1917 following several years of government-approved dredging. Whirlwind follows the story of Lizzie May Prettyjohn, the last survivor of the gales, as she guides tourists around the ruins of her village where past and present mingle together.
First produced at The Sage Gateshead, 24-26 October 2006 Streetwise Opera directed by Keith Warner, conducted by Simon Fidler, with Heather Shipp, Rowan Fenner, Loren Geeting and Keel Watson.
"On stage, the action is led and unified by Heather Shipp as the older Lizzie. She and Rowan Fenner as her young self are given operatic musical lines by composer Will Todd, while the 27 (amateur) villagers sing unison choruses deriving from a more popular tradition. Miraculously, they fit together, answered by fiddle, flute and horn, more expressionist percussion and electronics."
Paul Allen / The Guardian / 2006
"The contemporary libretto fits beautifully with Will Todd's resoundingly dramatic score, which can surely leave no one unmoved."Tamzin Lewis / The Journal, Newcastle/ 2006