The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk at NYU Skirball

NYU Skirball will co-present the digital tour of Daniel Jamieson's The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, a play with music and dance directed by Emma Rice, on Friday, DECEMBER 11 at 7:30 pm EST (available for streaming through DECEMBER 18). Co-produced by Bristol Old Vic, Kneehigh and Wise Children with support from The Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation, the play will be performed at the UK's Bristol Old Vic in front of a live audience and streamed on demand to audiences around the globe. The actors and creative team will form a social bubble in Bristol ahead of their run, allowing them to mount the piece without social distancing. Closed-captioned and audio described videos will be available on demand.

Inspired by the work of Marc Chagall - which includes the painting "Bouquet With Flying Lovers" - the play is set against the backdrop of the Russian revolution and chronicles Chagall's relationship with his wife, Bella, as they navigate the turbulent world of Russian pogroms, revolution and romance. Emma Rice's production is drawn in a theatrical language as fluid as Chagall's paintings, and woven throughout with music and dance inspired by Russian Jewish tradition. It captures the vibrancy of Jewish culture in the vanishing world of early 20th century Europe. FLOV video link

The play features Marc Antolin (Marc Chagall) and Audrey Brisson (Bella Chagall), joined by a live band. It is written by Daniel Jamieson with direction by Emma Rice and music by Ian Ross. Set and costume design is by Sophia Clist, lighting design is by Malcolm Rippeth, with choreography by Etta Murfitt and sound design by Simon Baker.

Co-produced by Kneehigh and Bristol Old Vic for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk won the 2017 Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award. It was the last show Emma Rice made as Artistic Director of Kneehigh before setting up her own company, Wise Children, and went on to enjoy UK and international tours. These companies are now reuniting to collaborate and remount the award-winning show for both screen and stage, performed live from where it opened four years ago at the Bristol Old Vic.

Daniel Jamieson (playwright) has worked for Exeter-based Theatre Alibi as an actor, joint artistic director (1995-2000) and writer. His writing credits for the company include Falling, Hammer and Tongs, Goucher's War, Cobbo, Caught, One in a Million, The Freeze, Shelf Life, Little White Lies, The Swell, Sea of Faces and Birthday, as well as adapting novels by Charles Dickens, Graham Greene, Michael Morpurgo and Dick King-Smith for the stage. Other theatre credits include A Box of Photographs, We're Going on a Bear Hunt (Polka Theatre), Where's the Bear, Wish Wash, Knitwits and Flathampton (Royal & Derngate).

Emma Rice (director) is the proud and excited Artistic Director of her new company, Wise Children. She adapted and directed Angela Carter's Wise Children (The Old Vic/UK tour), Enid Blyton's Malory Towers (Bristol Passenger Shed/UK tour) and Romantics Anonymous (Bristol Old Vic/Digital tour). For the ENO she directed Orpheus in the Underworld. As Artistic Director of Shakespeare's Globe (2016/18), she directed Romantics Anonymous, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Little Matchgirl (and Other Happier Tales). For the previous 20 years, she worked for Kneehigh as an actor, director and Artistic Director. Her productions included The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, Tristan & Yseult, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, The Wild Bride and The Red Shoes. She was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre at the 2019 UK Theatre Awards.

TICKETS

The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk will be available for streaming from DECEMBER 11 through DECEMBER 18. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at nyuskirball.org/chagall/