We caught up with co-founder of Gagglebabble Theatre, Lucy Rivers to find out more about Double Vison, which will premiere at this year’s Festival of Voice in Cardiff. This thrilling ride through the darkness of the human psyche blends Gagglebabble’s signature dark humour with an electrifying original score composed by Lucy herself and performed by a live band fronted by Lisa Jên from 9Bach.
Double Vision is at Wales Millennium Centre 6th June – 17th June 2018. More information here.
Your multi-sensory thriller Double Vision is coming to this year’s Festival of Voice, what can you tell us about it?
Double Vision is a gripping musical thriller about obsession, friendship, perception and betrayal, all set on board a luxury cruise liner. We follow the story of a blind lead singer called Serena and her best friend Mel who is our narrator, but as events unfold and the ship hits choppy waters, perspectives shift, reality blurs and we are left questioning what is real and what is fantasy.
Brought to life by an incredible creative team and cast our vision for the show is very ambitious – creating an inclusive, multi-sensory feast for the audience and taking them on an unforgettable journey. The show also includes original music and songs performed by a brilliant live band and fronted by the wonderful Singer Lisa Jen from 9Bach.
Where did the inspiration from Double Vision come from?
The inspiration came from the treatment of an unmade Alfred Hitchcock and Earnest Leaman film ‘The Blind Man’. We have taken a nugget of that storyline and then gone off on our own Gagglebabble flight of fancy, but Hitchcock and his aesthetic and storytelling flair are definitely inspiring our production. We were also interested in experimenting with form and trying to create a sensory, inclusive show, which could be enjoyed by everyone.
Tell us about the score you have composed, and how it fits in to Double Vision?
As with all Gagglebabble shows it’s gig-theatre so the music is central to the show and setting the tone. When there isn’t a song by the ship’s band there is moody underscoring or atmospheric instrumental themes. All this is excitingly blended with the dynamic 4D sound design by Elena Pena. The music style is a mixture of Rock/pop songs, soulful ballads and electric drum and synth grooves. As well as lead vocalist Lisa Jen we also have a chorus of harmonious voices which play an important role in the texture of the music and we have the classic Hitchcock strings of violin and cello. It’s a show of two halves so the music reflects that and some of the arrangements get pretty epic like a film score. Music will also help with the pace, energy and locations so when we arrive in Havana carnival we should feel like we’re in the hot streets of Havana dancing along to rumba rhythms.
What led you to co-found Gagglebabble theatre company?
I wrote my first gig-theatre show called The Bloody Ballad in 2012 which was really successful and toured Wales, Edinburgh fringe, Bristol, Brighton Fringe, Latitude and London and it attracted a new type of theatre audience. So in 2013 Hannah McPake and I set up Gaggebabble as we felt there was a real thirst and need for this type of dark, comic, gig-theatre. The company and shows have grown and grown and Double Vision will be our fifth show and one of our biggest.
How does it feel to be one of the female led commissions for this year’s Festival of Voice?
We feel very lucky and privileged to be part of this amazing Festival with our co-producers Wales Millennium Centre, and it’s brilliant to be one of the female led commissions performing in the city where we live. To be up alongside some of the World’s greatest artists like Patti Smith and Elvis Costello and our own home grown talent including Gruff Rhys, The Gentle Good and Gwenno is incredible. This festival is so impressive and ambitious and it’s really important that we get our Welsh work seen and placed on the same high profile platform as these international artists.
You’re a writer, composer, actor and musician, is there one you enjoy most and why?
Don’t make me have to choose between them! Seriously, I’ve always enjoyed making and being part of great theatre and I’ve found having all of these strings to my bow very useful. With Gagglebabble I’m able to combine all of these passions – plus I feel it makes for a varied career and it hopefully means I’m not out of work too often.
