The Drama and Music of Chess at Bankstown
Bankstown Theatre Company presents the musical Chess from August 5 to 13, 2016. With music written by former members of ABBA, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, and lyrics by Tim Rice, the score, initially popularised by a 1984 concept album, features such songs as “One Night in Bangkok”. “I Know Him So Well” and “Heaven Help My Heart”.
The collaborators are giants of popular music and rock musicals and they created a contemporary piece of music theatre that played in London’s West End from 1986 to 1989. Here the ancient game of Chess becomes a metaphor for romantic rivalries, cold war politics and international intrigue.
The pawns in this drama form a love triangle under the glare of the media spotlight: the flamboyant American chess star, the earnest Russian champion and a Hungarian American female assistant who arrives at the international chess match in Merano with the American but falls for the Russian. From Merano to Bangkok they discover that it’s not all black and white as the intrigues play out to the pulse of the rock score.
Daniel Kenyon, playing Russian Chess Master Anatoly Sergievsky, belongs to the third generation of a BTC performing dynasty.
“My Grandmother, Edith Paull, was long term producer, director & president for BTC. My parents, Greg and Glenda Kenyon, along with my siblings, have performed in numerous leading roles for many theatre companies across Sydney.
“As a child I grew up watching my parents perform in theatre across Sydney and my love for singing came from listening to voices such as Colm Wilkinson, George Hearn and Anthony Warlow.”
First appearing in The Pirates of Penzance at Canterbury Theatre Guild in 2001, his favourite community theatre roles include Jean Valjean, Sweeney Todd and Jekyll & Hyde.
The cast and creative team are loving their involvement in Chess.
Director Dennis Clements loves Chess for “Its maturity and flawed characters, and the opportunity to put a unique creative stamp on one of the best scores ever written.”
Whitney Erickson, playing Svetlana Sergievsky, says, “This is my favourite musical. It's unlike any other, in that it can be interpreted by a director, musical director and cast in so many different ways. The music is fantastic and our cast is really strong.”
Gareth Davis (The Arbiter) says, “the music is phenomenal and it's a story of characters you've never seen before. Everyone in this production is on point.”
For Timothy John Hawkins, playing Walter De Courcey, “Chess was written by three very talented creatives. It's a great modern musical.”
Ensemble members are loving the show too.
Mario Nowfal says, “I love the story, sung in many different genres of music. I wouldn't call it a love story as such, but It shows how powerful love can be driving peoples actions and decisions even when faced with displacement or adversity.” Joy Pennock adds, “It’s fantastic vocally, a wall of voice greets the audience, with some fun dancing too.” For Viet-Anh Nguyen, it’s “a stellar community cast of talented individuals working together to make great music.”
DATES:
Friday August 5 8pm
Saturday 6th August 2pm & 8pm
Sunday7th August 2pm
Friday 12th August 8pm
Saturday 13th August 2pm & 8pm
Sunday 14th August 2pm
BANKSTOWN ARTS CENTRE
5 Olympic Parade, Bankstown NSW 2200
TICKETS: www.bankstowntheatrecompany.com or phone 0481 869 858
Top image: (pictured L to R) Daniel Kenyon, Whitney Erickson, Gareth Davis, Sherry-Anne Hayes and Charles McComb.
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