Crude

presents

The Transports

by Peter Bellamy

Thurs 28 Feb 1 – Sat 2 March 2013
Tues 5 March – Sat 9 March 2013
7.30pm, Tickets £8 (£5 Concessions).

Dragon Hall  King St Norwich NR2 1QE 01603 663 922 www.dragonhall.org

Profits from all events helps towards the upkeep of Dragon Hall, Norwich’s unique and much loved medieval gem.

Norwich’s Crude Theatre company are proud to announce their third production at Dragon Hall – a new stage production of Peter Bellamy’s legendary folk-opera The Transports – the first time it has been staged in Norwich since 1985.

Originally a 1977 ‘concept album’ that topped all that years folk charts and ‘best of’ polls, The Transports was perhaps the most important work by the influential Norwich based Bellamy. It featured such folk luminaries as Mike and Norma Waterson, Dave Swarbrick June Tabor and Martin Carthy and in recent years has been included in Mojo magazine’s Top 100 recordings of the 20th Century and the BBC’s Best folk Albums of the 20th Century.

The Transports tells the true story of Henry Kabel and Susannah Holmes. In 1783 they were both both convicted of petty theft, imprisoned in Norwich Castle and sentenced to transportation as part the first fleet of convicts to be transported to the new world.

The couple married and prospered in the new world. In an inspiring story of offender rehabilitation Henry made a fortune from sealing and whaling, founded a mail service in Australia and went on to become the Colony’s first Chief Constable. His dynasty survives today and many of his descendants travel from Australia to visit Norwich and its castle where their ancestors were incarcerated.

The very first live production of The Transports took place in Norwich Castle in 1978 and it has since been performed at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Bracknell Festival and at the 1991 Whitby Festival as a memorial to Peter who had shocked and baffled his family and friends when he took his own life that year.

Now Crude , under musical director Tim Lane and Director Jo Edye will recreate The Transports for a modern audience with a cast of 12 singers and 8 musicians. Amazingly amongst the cast are Poppy Mathews and her son Jamie, daughter and grandson of Liz Holliday who (as Liz Matthews) played Susannah in the original 1978 Norwich Castle show. This new production will add a new theatricality to the work and a modern feel to the music without losing the spirit and soul of Peter Bellamy’s remarkable and timeless original.

Director Jo Edye said “Our experience of producing ‘Under Milk Wood’ last year showed us that we could add to a piece that was originally intended to be only heard. The Transports offers the same challenges – to find a visual and theatrical element to what is a fantastic folk ‘concept’ album.”
 

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