Funeral Blues at Grand Theatre

W.H. Auden, one of the most important poets of the twentieth century, and the composer Benjamin Britten collaborated intensely between 1932 and 1936. Even when their paths diverged, the collaborations continued. In Funeral Blues, director Olivier Fredj rediscovers the poetry of W. H. Auden, making the music of Britten an intrinsic element of the performance, while embracing the task of approaching the poetry from a theatrical perspective. “The joy of living and loving in a world in distress” is Auden’s paradox, imbued with the humour and derision necessary to give his clinical approach to life just the right amount of tenderness. Fredj stages and embodies Auden’s poetry; there is also a sense of something unsaid. The audience is given a chance to discover the inner workings of the author’s mind by hearing his words as they are made emotional by the playfulness of cabaret songs.