A concert of Shakespeare, Sonnets set to music and sung by an actress. Perhaps this is nothing new. But in France anyway, it seems that it is the first time this has been done. Pascal Collin's idea came from a play by Shakespeare that was performed in Avignon in 1999, Henry IV, directed by Yann-Joël Collin. One of the actresses, the translator and the composer wanted to develop certain aspects of the performance that had remained at the drawing-board stage such as singing Shakespearean verse. But the Sonnets are akin to the tragedies, expressing a more intimate mystery. They are all love poems to a man. The unknown object of this love made it clear that he would not respond. The sentiment however is total, ecstatic, jealous, possessive, bewitched, lyrical, erotic. The poet's language is sumptuous, precious, rich with image, polemic, violent, sensual, philosophical. A young woman, Norah Krief sings the Sonnets. She sings a selection of twenty or so among the 154, as if they were her own love songs. Pascal Collin wrote the French translations, as he did for Henry IV. Frédéric Fresson, working with two musicians and the actress, composed the music. Eric Lacascade, who has been working regularly with Norah Krief for ten years, is the artistic director for the project. The incarnation of Shakespeare's wounded cry in song lends it a new incandescence.
Distribution
translation Pascal Collin
Interpretation by : Norah Krief
Adapted by : Pascal Collin
Artistic director : Eric Lacascade
Lighting : Philippe Berthomé
Music composed by : Frédéric Fresson
Musicians : Philippe Floris, Frédéric Fresson, Daniel Largent
Production
production : Centre dramatique national de Normandie-Comédie de Caen
avec le soutien de : la société CAMAC et de la Spedidam
création : mai 2001 (Centre dramatique national de Normandie)