The Bulletin Board just heard from Rob Inglis, artistic director, Musical Flying Squad www.musicalflyingsquad.org.uk who is working on a performance about Lisa Pontecorvo one of the areas most well known campaigners who was tragically killed in 2008.
Rob is now seeking Lisa's friends, neighbours and associates to send him their memories of Lisa for inclusion in Lisa - A Folk Opera. According to Rob, These memories and recollections of Lisa will help build a vivid, colourful portrait of this energetic campaigner.
There will be a short Camden performance at 3 PM on Wednesday April 14 - venue to be announced. This will be multi-cultural, supported by Bengali Workers' Association as part of their New Year celebrations.
Islington performances will be supported by Friends of Edward Square. 150 students from local schools will sing excerpts in Edward Square at 4 PM on a weekday at the end of June. Soon afterwards there will be a full performance in Islington Assembly Hall.
Please e-mail Rob at [email protected] or ring him on 020 7387 4942 as soon as possible.
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Update
The show was a big success, here are some of the responses to Islington Assembly Room performance June 15 2010
The show beautifully caught the essence of Lisa's life and was moving and funny in turn. It showed the true commitment of Lisa and her fellow community activists to changing their neighbourhood for the better, whilst underlining Lisa's essential humanity.
Derek Sawyer
Former Islington Council Leader who supported Lisa’s fight for Edward Square
The opera was full of the same energy and uniqueness that emitted from Lisa herself when she was alive, through bright energetic performances including the children of Copenhagen and Blessed Sacrament Schools. Sensitively produced with significant research behind the lyrics of every song and narration, the opera has great charm and character in championing the drive, tenacity, and savvy of a local campaigner.
Johanna Gibbons
Landscape Architect for Edward Square
Rob, I congratulate you on Lisa - a folk opera. As a memorial to Lisa and her life's work it struck me as an entirely appropriate format, allowing her passion to come through while telling the story of her own experiences and life. It also creates a tool by which the issues, disappointments and triumphs that drove her along can be preserved and remembered - giving future generations of school children the opportunity to actively learn about the culture and society of our times.
Peter Shaw
RHWL Architects, involved in The Regent Quarter after agitation by Lisa and others
Lisa was very passionate about everything she did and cared for and the opera was a true tribute to her. It was absolutely brilliant and very moving.
Councillor Catherine West, Leader of Islington Council.
I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Lisa – a folk opera’. I am a folk music 'fan', but I never knew what a 'folk opera' is! And, I never thought a theme of protest against environmental anarchy could be so well presented via an opera.
Tushar Sarkar
Lok Sanskriti Mancha and British South Asian Solidarity Forum
Thanks for the invite to your opera. I thought it was great, and I could certainly hear all your harmony and counterpoint skills at work! What great performers you had too! I'm sure Lisa would have been grinning from ear to ear if she knew what a wonderful wonderful homage you had paid her.
Selena Kay
Rob Inglis’s music tutor at Morley College
Rob - such a touching and moving piece you wrote for Lisa. It was very engaging to see former councillors in the audience react to your staged version of real life political events played out before them. I think you may have stumbled on a "local political theatre" genre here? I wondered if you had any other recent local events worth treating similarly. Tell us what you are planning next. Congratulations on such a warm and engaging work.
Chris Mellor
Senior Arts Development Officer, London Borough of Camden
I was in a production of Beggars Opera when I was a kid and had been reminded of this earlier in the day watching "Rude Britannia" on the BBC discussing the form of Ballad Opera - and then there it was in the evening, a 21st century example! I think you have a talent for setting what might be called lyrical recitative and the inclusion of the ukuleles was be no means token - I particularly enjoyed them (with the keyboard) providing continuo for the singers, not a trivial skill for the players. The string players were obviously great but the ensemble, whether by arrangements and/or direction, did not feel contrived. I thought the cast were great.
Nick Browning
Ukulele player and teacher
The folk opera was thoroughly enjoyable. I hope it will have many performances in the future, especially in north London as the story is set there. The children from local schools could get involved and the story of Lisa is a very inspiring one for young and old alike. I think it would be wonderful to see it in The Round House with the orchestra for the Age of Enlightenment and hundreds of schoolchildren in the chorus. The owner of the Roundhouse was on Radio 4 Libby Purves slot (9-9.30am ) this morning and he sounded just the person to approach. Go for it!
Caroline Blunden
Art dealer who supplied her friends Lisa and Guido Pontecorvo with Asian art
I thought Cezanne’s Tegelberg’s performance was uncannily like Lisa’s in spirit. Although she didn’t look exactly the same, there was something about her that came over EXACTLY the same. This was very evident when speaking to Cezanne as well. Cezanne shares the bright eagerness in her eyes and the enthusiasm we were used to from Lisa in her lifetime. The picture of her in the paper with the bicycle was immensely evocative. I got the impression that she really enjoyed taking the part and felt committed to spreading the message. Rob, your folk opera was/is wonderful and I think Caroline’s ideas for another performance are splendid. It mustn’t get neglected now. It continues to be an inspiration and a fabulous remembrance of Lisa.
Jessica Redfern
Friend of Lisa’s of many years’ standing
I’m grateful to Kings Cross Environment website for helping me contact those who had e-mailed tributes to Lisa after her death in September 2008, to the cast, to Copenhagen and Blessed Sacrament Schools, to Friends of Edward Square, to Cripplegate Foundation and to King’s Cross Assembly Room.
Rob Inglis
Artistic Director, Musical Flying Squad who wrote the show
Lisa as a young woman:
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