During World War II Benjamin Britten finished 'Les Illuminations', his song cycle setting the nineteenth-century French bad-boy poet Arthur Rimbaud. Both words and music have associations with exile – Rimbaud in London, Britten in America.
For his new music theatre piece blending song, movement and and drama, pianist and playwright Iain Burnside takes 'Les Illuminations' as his starting point, exploring the contrast between two very different creative personalities.
(A one-off performance, which will return in the autumn. This production contains strong language and is not suitable for minors. Created in collaboration with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.)