Folie à Deux

Insanity, electricity and love collide in a sonic voyage into the shared psychosis known as ‘folie à deux’, where a delusion is transmitted from one person to another.

A woman is struggling to connect with her lover. He believes that the pylon outside their house has a special power. His delusion passes on to her and, as sparks fly, their madness takes hold.

Songs are woven together for two singers, an acoustic harp and a specially created electro-magnetic harp in this modern folk tale performed against a backdrop of responsive light and sound.

Part staged performance, part concept album, Folie à Deux is a lyrical and intense investigation into love and loneliness within a relationship.

Folie à Deux is a collaboration between British composer Emily Hall, Icelandic writer Sjón, and brings together classical, electronic and folk sounds.

Folie à Deux is also released as an album by Bedroom Community.

Duration: c.50min

  • Emily Hall music
  • Sjón words
  • Frederic Wake-Walker director
  • Finnur Bjarnason vocals
  • Allan Clayton vocals (recording)
  • John-Paul Gandy electromagnetic harp
  • Sofia Jernberg vocals
  • Helen Sharp harp
  • Ana Silvera vocals (Leicester)
  • Ruth Wall harp
  • Rachel Wick harp (Leicester)
  • Dan Large lighting designer
  • Sound Intermedia live sound design
  • Peter Cant associate director
  • David Sheppard electromagnetic harp design & build
  • Jonathan Green electromagnetic harp design & build
This production undoubtedly represents the best of contemporary art collaboration.
The London Word

6 October 2016

Sacrum Profanum, Małopolska Garden of Arts, Krakow, Poland

20 May 2016

Operadagen Rotterdam, Rotterdamse Schouwburg, Netherlands

16 February 2016

Curve Theatre, Leicester

13 February 2016

Mumford Theatre, Cambridge

More

10 February 2016

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

14 November 2015

EFG London Jazz Festival, The Albany, London

23 September 2015

Trinity Buoy Wharf, London, presented by Unlimited Productions as part of Totally Thames

6 & 7 June 2015

Spitalfields Music Summer Festival, Rich Mix, London

29 March 2015

Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall

28 March 2015

Winchester Discovery Centre

14 March 2015

Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Sweden

11 & 12 March 2015

USF Vertreft, Bergen, Norway, in partnership with Bergen National Opera as part of Borealis Festival

Partners

A Mahogany Opera Group production

Supporters

Supported by Arts Council England, Britten–Pears Foundation, Golsoncott Foundation, Hinrichsen Foundation, Holst Foundation, Jerwood Charitable Foundation, J Paul Getty Charitable Trust, Leche Trust, Nordic Culture Point, PRS for Music Foundation, RVW Trust, Sir Siegmund Warburg's Voluntary Settlement and Sound and Music.

Thanks to all our Folie Generators who gave to our crowd-funding campaign, which allowed us to record Folie à Deux as an album.

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