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‘I shall astonish you all’
Marking 150 years since the first publication of Far From the Madding Crowd, we celebrate Thomas Hardy in his own words, poetry, novels, and the music he loved so much.
Starring acclaimed actor Anton Lesser (Andor, Game of Thrones, Wolf Hall, Endeavour), A Beautiful Thread (produced by Hambletts) weaves Hardy’s life – dramatic as any of his books – with his beautiful poetry and great novels, including Far From the Madding Crowd, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, and Jude the Obscure. Hardy put more music into his work than any other writer, and the Swan’s Artistic Director, David Le Page has devised a musical programme of shimmering beauty – a Mellstock folk band style, that combines West Gallery Music from the village churches of the 1840’s with Holst, Purcell and contemporary folk.
Devised and adapted by Deirdre Shields (Red Sky at Sunrise: Laurie Lee in Words and Music), Hardy’s extraordinary writing shines as bright as ever.
Music Director David Le Page
Director Judy Reaves
Actor Lucia Bonbright
Actor Anton Lesser
Overview of A Beautiful Thread from Adaptor, Deirdre Shields
The challenge with Thomas Hardy – monumental novelist, extraordinary poet – was always going to be ‘Where to begin?’. Until it dawned on me that the place to start would be with an ending, Hardy’s own, which is even more Thomas Hardy than a Thomas Hardy novel. That gave us all a way in. Judy Reaves and David Hamblett have created something truly extraordinary with their imaginative recreation of Words and Music, producing something that is nothing less than a whole new way of performing.
Anton, Lucia, David and the wonderful musicians of Orchestra of the Swan bring all the magic, and we very much hope you enjoy our telling of Hardy’s novels, poetry, life and music.
READ THE REVIEWS:
"The Orchestra’s director David Le Page composed several pieces to illustrate Hardy’s life, and, with his nine-strong ensemble, evoked not only the familiar characters but the essence of life in Hardy’s own Dorset."
The Fine Times Recorder
"A well-crafted script by Deirdre Shields wove together details of Hardy’s life, work and relationships."
Helena Gomm
Southern Arts Reviews
"Le Page on the lead violin is as poetic as Hardy's words. It's like a trio between Le Page's violin and Lesser and Bonbright's resonant voices."
Cheryl Markosky
Broadway World
"If the musical content was of necessity cast sometimes in water colour, the
actors can be said to have spoken to their audience in the verbal equivalent of oil
painting."
Colin Howard
"You can sense the audience, as I did, basking in the music, with David Le Page’s original works, such as A Beautiful Thread and Hangings, some compositions mixed with traditional music, and excerpts from classic composers."
Paul T Davies
Keep Colchester Cool
"David Le Page writes haunting, atmospheric music. There are drones and loops, shimmering, wistful melodies, often with a folk inflection, hints of birdsong or the wind rustling the trees on ‘Egdon Heath’ (the primary setting for Hardy’s novel The Return of the Native)."
Fran Wilson
The Cross-Eyed Pianist
