Kafka's Chimp - 1996 Opera Production 

April, 1999

CRITICS CHEER SWEDISH PRODUCTION OF KAFKA'S CHIMP
By composer John Metcalf and librettist Mark Morris

"A world class artistic experience" is how Bernt Carlsson of Lanstidningen, Ostersund, described Piteå Chamber Opera's Kafka's Chimp. The Opera; which received high critical acclaim at its Banff premiere in 1996; was presented in a Swedish translation by KG Johansson that engaged and entertained both audiences and critics in a four city tour of Sweden, March 7-22.

Mikael Bengtsson of Norra Vasterbotten, Skelleftea, described the production as "an opera experience far above the ordinary, a performance that dares to break traditional opera conventions in an attempt to find new ways for contemporary music theatre towards the new millennium". Dan Engman of Piteå-Tidningen, Piteå observed that this was "... a performance that stretches the borders of what an opera really is... a multi media show, with great interaction between music, dance, lights and pictures. Sometimes you wish that you had more than one pair of eyes, in order to take in all that is happening on stage".

The Piteå production used a full Swedish company of interpreters augmented by stage director Keith Turnbull and bass Michael Douglas Jones from the original Banff production. Kafka's Chimp was developed over a seven year period at The Banff Centre and made its premiere at the 1996 Banff Arts Festival with support from Opera America's Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Opera for a New America Project, the Canada Council for the Arts and the British Arts Council.

Kjell Englund, artistic director of Piteå Chamber Opera, remembers his first exposure to the work "I was fascinated by the music, the structure, the message, and also by the way this work breaks conventional opera traditions, not for the sake of breaking them but to find new paths for today's music theatre. It is very gratifying that our audiences confirmed my initial response".

Keith Turnbull, stage director and artistic director of Banff Theatre Arts, says of the five week rehearsal process "The talent, generosity, and courage of the Swedish singers, creative team, and producers was indispensable to our realizing together the vision of Kafka's Chimp. It was an enormously satisfying adventure".

Plans are currently underway for a Kafka's Chimp North American and British tour in 2001. Please contact George Ross at (403) 762 6193 for tour information.

For information:
Jeff Henry (403) 762 6482
Theatre Arts

• Kjell Englund (46) 920 23 66 64
  Norrbotten Chamber Orchestra
  Box 972, S-971 29 Lulea, Sweden

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