cymraeg
 

We'd love to hear your thoughts - if you have two minutes to spare, please fill this quick survey.

Grief

A feeling felt by many but spoken about by few.

GRIEF paints the picture of the pages and stages that we go through when encountering the many aspects that make up grief. Through original music composed by Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, movement choreographed and performed by Arnold Matsena, and spoken word written and performed by Connor Allen, GRIEF explores the impact of loss from the perspective of the body. It is an intimate, physical exploration of continually grappling with the residual energy and volatility of emotion that accompany grieving.

Music – Francesca Amewudah-Rivers
Text - Connor Allen

This digital opera short by Connor Allen and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers escorts us through the emotional spectrum of grief, from the shock of initial impact to eventual acceptance. By harmoniously blending music, spoken word, sung text, movement, and film into a cohesive narrative arc, GRIEF ventures beyond traditional opera boundaries. It prompts us to consider grief as a multifaceted entity, like a book on a shelf that reveals different insights upon each visit.

This project emerges from the unique collaboration between writer/performer Connor Allen and composer, musician and actor Francesca Amewudah-Rivers. Their joint venture transcends individual contributions, crafting an experience that is profoundly more impactful than its constituent parts. Uniting two artists, previously unacquainted with opera, and foregrounding music with the integration of operatic vocals, GRIEF delivers a compelling and deeply personal exploration. It directly engages with Music Theatre Wales's foundational questions: What is opera? Who is making it? And crucially, who is it for?

Music Composed and Produced by
Francesca Amewudah-Rivers

Text Written and Performed by
Connor Allen

Directed by
Connor Allen and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers

Performers

  • Baritone - Byron Jackson
  • Dancer and Choreographer - Arnold Matsena
  • Additional Vocals - Francesca Amewudah-Rivers

Musicians from Sinfonia Cymru:

  • Violins - Daniel Jung, Simmy Singh
  • Cello - Garwyn Linnell

Filmed by REDBRCK at Firebug Studios
Music recorded at Tŷ Cerdd Studio

Connor Allen is a distinguished artist, known for his tenure as the Children’s Laureate of Wales and his role as an associate artist at The Riverfront in Newport. A versatile, multidisciplinary talent, Connor graduated from Trinity Saint David as an actor in 2013 and has since collaborated with prestigious companies like Taking Flight Theatre, Sherman Theatre, Manchester Royal Exchange, and National Theatre Wales, to name a few. His notable work includes writing and performing in the acclaimed show The Making of a Monster at the Wales Millennium Centre in 2022, with the play text later published by Aurora Metro Books. A former member of the BBC Wales Welsh Voices and Welsh Royal Court writing groups, Connor's creations are deeply influenced by personal themes - grief, love, masculinity, identity, and ethnicity. His accomplishments include receiving the Jerwood Live Work Fund, the Rising Star Wales Award 2021, and the Imison Award in 2023 for his Radio 4 audio drama The Making Of A Monster. Connor's debut poetry collections, Dominoes for general audiences and Miracles for children, were published by Lucent Dreaming in 2023, further showcasing his diverse literary talents.

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is a celebrated British Ghanaian-Nigerian composer, actor, and musician. Her illustrious career began after graduating from Oxford University with a BA in Music, followed by training with the National Youth Theatre REP Company. Francesca's compositions have graced film festivals worldwide, including BFI Flare, Outfest LA, and the London Short Film Festival, earning her a nomination for Best Score at the British Short Film Awards (2022). Her vocal composition Alive, commissioned by The King's Singers, debuted at Wigmore Hall and was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. Francesca's theatrical engagements span across prominent venues such as Brixton House, Liverpool Everyman, Belgrade Coventry, the Young Vic, and the Actors Touring Company. Her acting prowess is highlighted in roles in Macbeth at Shakespeare’s Globe, School Girls Or The African Mean Girls Play at the Lyric Hammersmith, The Kola Nut Does Not Speak English at The Bush Theatre, and Bad Education on the BBC. Her achievements include receiving the Evening Standard Future Theatre Award for Audio Design in 2021, marking her a formidable force in contemporary theatre and music.