Come face-to-face with a cast of deathly characters, including Beelzebub, a Quack Doctor, a Black Knight and a skull-headed wild horse at a free and unique performance in Durham on 12th September, 19.30, in the Concert Hall, Palace Green.
Drawing on research conducted as part of Records of Early English Drama North East, Souls of the North will present now-neglected traditions from the North of England and Scotland that imagine or challenge death, celebrate the dead, and that were once popular throughout the region before the advent of modern and commercialised Halloween.
This spectacle of song, dance, drama and costume will include:
- a death-and-resurrection play with an intimidating array of personalities
- live music from Scotland and England’s North, such as soul cake songs and the Lyke Wake Dirge
- a depiction of early dance
- traditional poems and and ballads
The production will be directed by Lieven Baert, a professional choreographer from Ghent. The show is an experience in performative research, where a live production helps us to better understand the methods and practice of early drama and festivities
Places will be limited, so reserve your free tickets now.
For a sense of what to expect, here’s a reminder of our previous show, The Sacred and Profane, in 2016. The Dance of Death (featured around 37 minutes in) is one example of the death traditions that we’ll be resurrecting during Souls of the North.
[youtube=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHxZ8Su6yLQ”]