A crowded beach, the burning sun, bright bathing suits and sweaty brows and legs. Tired limbs sprawling lazily across a sea of towels.
The performance that stunned audiences at the 2019 Venice Biennale will make its UK debut this year at the Albany co-presented with LIFT and Serpentine. The main house of the Albany will be transformed into a crowded beach, complete with 10 tons of sand and 13 vocalists taking on the role of beachgoers enjoying the sunshine. Here is our wonderful teaser video for the show that should give you a nice snapshot.
As part of the production we are looking for London-based singers to form a new choir and take a key community role in the performance. As well as joining us to spend some time on the beach, the Sun & Sea choir will sing elements of the musical score that sits at the heart of this incredible, world class performance.
Taking part – what will it be like?
Singers will join a new choir, formed and led by a choir master in association with LIFT, the Albany & Serpentine. They will rehearse together at the Albany across May and June, learning 4 songs for performances in late June and early July.
Sun & Sea is a live performance that takes place over four hours. It features live opera singing from choirs and individuals too. In total there will be 25 performers (including volunteers) on the beach at any one time, and an audience of up to 150 people watching.
All choir volunteers will wear swimwear that they feel comfortable with on the beach. You will lie on the beach, and might occasionally go off stage to get sprinkled with water (as if you’d been in the sea) or to collect an ice cream.
Key information:
• Volunteer singers will join a new choir, led by a local rehearsal director, and will rehearse and learn songs for the performance.
• The creative team for the production are looking to form a group that is representative of the mixed community who live across London.
• Rehearsals will take place on Saturday 21 May, Sunday 5 June and Saturday 11 June between 11am – 5pm at the Albany in Deptford.
If you are interested in taking part in the Sun & Sea choir, or have any questions, please contact Gabi Spiro at volunteers@liftfestival.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.