Graeae Releases Three Acclaimed Stage Productions Available To Watch Online

To mark the beginning of Disability History Month on 16 November, Graeae Theatre Company has announced that it will be making its three most recent productions available online for a two week period from 16 to 30 November.

Demonstrating the breadth and quality of the critically hailed award winning disability led theatre company's work, the trio of shows is headlined by the acclaimed and pioneering chamber opera The Paradis Files by composer Errollyn Wallen, Commissioned by The Stables for IF: Milton Keynes International Festival and produced in partnership with Curve Leicester and BBC Concert Orchestra, the production received rave reviews when premiered at The Southbank Centre earlier this year. Also released are Shahid Iqbal Khan's Olivier Award nominated, 10 Nights, a co-production between Graeae and Tamasha in association with Bush Theatre which was filmed live at The Bush when it premiered there in October 2021, and Michael Southan's Kerbs, a co-production with Belgrade Theatre Coventry where it received its premiere in March this year.

The Paradis Files

The Paradis Files is set in the glittering salons of 18th-century Vienna, where Maria Theresia von Paradis is a star. Pianist, composer, touring musician; this pupil of Salieri and friend (and alleged lover) of Mozart has captivated Europe with her own sensational talent. They call her The Blind Enchantress. Yet behind this dazzling success story there are darker forces at work. Some of those closest to Maria-Theresia are looking to profit from her blindness. Others are looking to 'cure' her - whatever it takes.

In this newly commissioned chamber opera directed by Jenny Sealey, this extraordinary woman is finally drawn out of the shadows to reclaim her place in the spotlight of music history.

The production features Maureen Brathwaite (Glyndebourne Festival and Touring Opera, Welsh National Opera, ENO) as Hilde, Baroness von Paradis, Omar Ebrahim (RSC, Glyndebourne) as Baron von Paradis / a doctor / baritone gossip, Andee-Louise Hypolite (Das Rheingold - Gafa Arts Collective) as Dr Janice / alto gossip, Bethan Langford (HMS Pinafore - ENO, The Lost Thing - Royal Opera House) as Maria Theresia von Paradis, Ella Taylor (The Cunning Little Vixen - English National Opera, Paris and Helen - Bampton Classical Opera) as Gerda The Maid / soprano gossip and Ben Thapa (Idomeneo - Buxton International Festival, Tristan Und Isolde - Longborough Festival Opera) as Salieri / Dr Anton / tenor gossip.

10 Nights

10 Nights tells the story of Yasser as he decides to take part in itikaf, sleeping and fasting in the mosque for the last ten nights of Ramadan. Almost as soon as he has made it, he regrets his decision. But as he navigates smug worshippers, shared bathrooms, and recurring thoughts of chunky chips, Yasser's isolation forces him to confront a side of himself he's been trying to keep hidden. Ths is the story of one man's journey of self-discovery his realisation that sometimes actions have consequences that must be faced. 10 Nights features Zaqi Ismail who plays Yasser alongside Safyan Iqbal Khan as Aftab and Sumayya Si-Tayeb as the performance interpreter. It is directed by Kash Arshad.

Kerbs

Kerbs charts the journey of Lucy and David as they set off on the rocky road of romance. Faced with first-date disasters, a few crossed wires and Lucy's mum, what they really need is a bit of space, a bit of fun - and ideally some independence. Escaping for the weekend to a caravan park in Somerset, it's time for them to find out if their spark will finally catch, or burn everything to the ground.

Directed by Nickie Miles-Wildin, Kerbs features Maya Coates, in her professional stage debut, as Lucy, Jack Hunter (Cost of Living - Hampstead Theatre, Teenage Dick - Donmar Warehouse) as David and Rekha John-Cheriyan (Hollyoaks - Channel 4, Tomb Raider - Warner Bros) as Carol and Toni.

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