Nevermore: Edgar Allen Poe Musical for Perth
A mysterious new musical based on the life, loves and creative passions of Edgar Allen Poe, Nevermore will be staged by Playlovers (WA) from May 3 – 18, 2013.
The lyrics to the songs and much of the dialogue of Nevermore have been taken from Poe’s poetry and prose, with the splashes of his macabre stories.
Nevermoreis a journey of Poe, The Man, on a path of self-destruction, featuring the interaction with the women in his life who provided the catalyst for much of his writing. The action takes place from age 14 through to his death at age 40, from the happiest of times including his first love to the darkest times where he struggled with alcoholism leading up to his death, featuring Poe’s younger innocent self and his dark side, the ‘fever in his brain,’ with which he struggles to cope.
The women, who are the basis for much of his writing, form Edgar’s memories and conscience. Poe’s mother died when he was two years old, kicking off his separation anxiety. His feeling of being alone increased as the other women in his life left him. Elmira his first love had her father intervene and his wife Virginia who also died. Poe is both inspired and distracted by the women in his life. Two other major female influences are his wife’s mother, who he uses as a surrogate mother, and a whore who represents all the other women and his immoral side.
“The music is hauntingly beautiful. From the first moment I listened to the score loved it and couldn’t get it out of my head, but in a good way,” says director Jenny M Ferguson. “And to add to this our cast’s voices spin mesmerising stories that also blend and merge in what I call goosebump-harmonies. Our excellent performers include Paul Spencer, Vivienne Glance and Gemma Sharpe.
“We have a string quintet with piano and percussion. They are fantastic. They are all accomplished performers who have graduated or are graduating from WAPPA. Our Musical Director Joshua Webb is currently still studying. He is amazing. He was the Musical Director for the 2012 production of Hairspray that won second Best Musical at the Finley awards last year.”
Many people may not realise that Edgar Allen Poe was the father of the detective/crime/horror story that is so popular today with tales like The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Fall of the House of Usher and The Masque of the Red Death. Poe created and developed this genre that brings us those themes of love, hate, passion and fear. He was part of the Romantic era that was immersed in sensation.
Of Poe’s poetry, The Raven was. This has also been made in to several movies including the latest one in 2012 starring John Cusack. It seems that Edgar Allen Poe is on the top of the trends again.
There is also a new TV series called The Following staring Kevin Bacon, that is based on a murderous cult that use Edgar Allen Poe’s writing as a catalyst for their killings.
Poe also lent his genus to creating a formula for Science Fiction stories and he was a major influence on Jules Verne.
The history of the period lends the perfect backdrop to Poe’s tale. It was a time of revolt against the aristocratic society and political norms. It was a time of Beethoven, Dickens and Darwin. This is when the telegraph and the railway were expanding the world at a very rapid pace.
“Although we are keeping within the main boundaries of the Victorian era we are staging Nevermore with the spice of SteamPunk essence,” says Jenny Ferguson. “SteamPunk style features that rustic almost Jules-Verne-come-Victorian look. People may recognise the SteamPunk Style from movies like Wild Wild West or the latest Sherlock Homes.
“Although this production is not traditional Steampunk. It also embraces the Romanticism of sensation, the panache of Surrealism with an essence of stylised Steampunk. Within this the cacophony the characters waver between being a real representation and imagined ideal of Edgar Allen Poe.”
Nevermore opens May 3rd and runs through to May 18.
For further details - www.playlovers.org.au
Tickets available on-line: www.playlovers.org.au or
bookings@playlovers.org.au or 0415 777 173.
Performances will be held Hackett Hall, Draper St, Floreat.
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