Clare Norburn on writing “Creating Carmen”
Writer Clare Norburn gives some background to Creating Carmen, and insight into her writing process for the show.
Creating Carmen is more than a concert. It occupies the borders between a play and a concert, with 60/40 music to spoken word. It is a fully staged, costumed and professionally lit show for 3 musicians and two actors. The main characters are Prosper Merimée, writer of the novella on which Bizet’s Carmen was based, and Carmen herself as imagined by Merimée.
Prosper Merimée is struggling with his latest novella, when his leading character – Carmen – turns up in his study, larger than life, with a band of musicians in tow and chaos in her wake. Which one of them controls the narrative? And what happen when Carmen discovers the nasty ending Mérimée has planned for her?
A fun-filled evening of fantasy, comedy, drama and tremendous music arranged from Bizet’s Carmen and Spanish and Spanish-inspired music by Boccherini, da Falla, Garcia -Lorca, Granados, Ravel and Albeniz, all arranged by the musicians for guitars and flute /voice.
The project is a collaboration with writer Clare Norburn, who has developed a series of concert/plays which have toured to most of the UK’s leading venue and festivals, and director Nicholas Renton.
“bouts of intimacy, creativity and comedy were brilliantly matched with nearly all the best Spanish tunes I can think of… a very happy evening’s entertainment” **** – Andrew Connal, The Latest
“Clare Norburn’s thoughtful, intelligent Creating Carmen is part play, part concert and part discursive essay. And it makes for a pretty riveting evening.” – Susan Elkin, Lark Reviews
“Refreshing, original, fun” audience feedback on Creating Carmen first reading at Stroud Green Festival – June 2019
CarmenCo is out NOW! Featuring 17 tracks of gorgeous Spanish and Spanish-inspired music for guitars, flute and voice.
£15 including postage and packing.
To purchase CarmenCo as well as other AM Records releases, visit our shop.
Track listing:
Total running time: 62 minutes