The Possessed

 

Composed by: Julian Yu
Text by: Glenn Perry
Stage Direction Douglas Horton
Musical Direction Brett Kelly
Set & Costume Design Phil Rolfe
Lighting Design Paul Jackson
Surtitle Translation Ouyang Yu
Melbourne Premiere Season: June 12-28 2003
Venue: Chapel off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel St, PrahranCast
Judou Shu-Cheen Yu
Jinshan Gary Rowley
Tianqing Raymond Khong
Dragonbone Lady Ying Xu
Tianbai Sam McGilp, Leighton Triplow (alternative performances)
Musicians
Violin Elizabeth Sellars
Viola Erkki Veltheim
Erhu Julian Yu
Cello Rosanne Hunt
Double Bass Marian Heckenberg
Percussion Steve Falk
General Manager Robina Burton
Production Manager Emma Anderson
Stage Manager Carly Heard
Production Assistant Sarah McPhail
Make-up Artist Betina Kurten

The Possessed, a world premiere from the team who wrote the celebrated Chamber Made production Fresh Ghosts. Composed by Julian Yu, with text by Glenn Perry after Liu Heng, The Possessed draws on traditional Chinese folk and twentieth century western idioms and instrumentation. Set in rural China at the beginning of the twentieth century, The Possessed tells the story of an ageing man who, impotent and desperate for offspring, brutally maltreats his young bride. The young woman's plight enlists the sympathy and ultimately the tragic love of the old man's dutiful and much abused nephew who works on his farm. The secret lovers bear a child, but can never reveal to the old man the son's true paternity until one fateful day.
"...one of the most exciting new works heard in Melbourne for a very long time ..." Stage Left

"... the whole work has a very satisfying shape and a sense of accomplishment imbues it to its last bars ... " The Age