The Fairy Queen

The Fairy Queen | co-production with Nederlands Blazers Ensemble

In January 2018, Duda Paiva Company performed in coöperation with the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble (NBE): more than twenty musicians who are driven by joint enthusiasm and an urge for adventure. The performance is Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. An intriguing collaboration in which the NBE plays Purcell’s compelling music (like the famous ‘O, Let Me Weep’) and in which Duda Paiva Company creates an absurd, comical and sometimes sinister universe. A representation of true and unrighteous love, passion, sorrow and worship.

CREDITS

Concept: Bart Schneemann and Duda Paiva
Music: Henri Purcell
Music editing: Willem van Merwijk
Direction: Duda Paiva
Dramaturgy: Kim Kooiman
Singers and performers: Francesca Lanza, Augusto Valença, Ilija Surla and Alexander Brouwer
Soundscape: Wilco Alkema
Lights: Mark Verhoef
Decor: Daniel Patijn
Puppets: André Mello and Duda Paiva
Costumes: Sally Pittman and Hennie Arensman
Assistant direction: Domokos Kovács
Repetitor: Ederson Xavier
Production: Marijana Mikolcic

Reactions from the press

Theaterkrant ★★★★

"The Fairy Queen is a feast for the eye and ear."

de Volkskrant ★★★★

"The astonishing thing about the performance lies first and foremost in the contribution of the puppeteers. Not only do they perform fantastic antics with the often tied and sometimes more than man-sized puppets, but they also perform complete dances and can sing very well. Especially Francesca Lanza, who plays Titania, the fairy queen of the title, is a feast for the ear."

Haarlems Dagblad

"It's a performance to feast on. The hour is too short, you want to see more of those sympathetic characters, hear more of Purcell's music that turns out to sound so authentic on modern wind instruments and percussion. absolutely credible. The performance has all kinds of ingenious discoveries and hilarious jokes that in turn move and confront. Purcell's music is honored, also by the puppets (and the performers). Clever, to sing so well and breathe life into the puppets with complex movements at the same time."