“There are some who are in darkness / And the others are in light / And you see the ones in brightness / Those in darkness drop from sight.”
- Mack the Knife
- Mack the Knife
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Ladies and gentlemen, we’re rolling up to the Pump House with another miserable tale!
Following on from the success of Woyzeck we present to you a low-life, low-budget opera performed by a highly talented cast of losers and deadbeats. The Deadbeat Opera is Free Theatre’s adaptation of John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera (1728) a revolutionary and then immensely popular ‘anti-opera’ and forerunner to the modern-day musical where criminal gang leaders and prostitutes sung well known songs (by Johann Pepusch) and folk ballads about corruption, poverty and injustice; and Bertolt Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera (1928) an adaptation 200 years later of Gay’s work with new music in the form of cabaret songs composed by Kurt Weill. In Brecht’s adaptation he reverses the moral positions of the bankers and police with that of the beggars and thieves: “Who is the greater criminal: he who robs a bank or he who founds one?” He also wanted to show that high moral standards are only possible when one can afford them: “Food is the first thing, morals follow on”.
The Deadbeat Opera juxtaposes our current period of the 2020s with the historical periods of Gay and Brecht – the early days of the industrial revolution during the 1720s and the Great Depression during the 1920s. |
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Hester Ullyart performs the role of gang leader Macheath and is joined by a mix of experienced local performers - Aaron Boyce, Heather McFarlane, Sarah Clare Judd, Greta Bond, Chris Carrow and Marian McCurdy; and our gang of musicians - Reuben Derrick, Sam White, Chris Reddington and Doug Brush.
Directed by Peter Falkenberg with design by Stuart Lloyd-Harris, the heritage Pump House once again provides the perfect setting. Enjoy a beverage before the show and during the interval at our ‘Beggars and Bankers Pumphouse Bar’ where you’re guaranteed to get what you paid for.
We are performing The Deadbeat Opera in honour of our collaborator, sister and friend Samantha Boyce-Da Cruz who worked with us to develop the project last year. Sam passed away unexpectedly in February. She is very much with us in all of our thoughts and we dedicate this opera to her.
Directed by Peter Falkenberg with design by Stuart Lloyd-Harris, the heritage Pump House once again provides the perfect setting. Enjoy a beverage before the show and during the interval at our ‘Beggars and Bankers Pumphouse Bar’ where you’re guaranteed to get what you paid for.
We are performing The Deadbeat Opera in honour of our collaborator, sister and friend Samantha Boyce-Da Cruz who worked with us to develop the project last year. Sam passed away unexpectedly in February. She is very much with us in all of our thoughts and we dedicate this opera to her.
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Performances:
Friday 6th Sep 8.00pm Saturday 7th Sep 8.00pm Tuesday 10th Sep 8.00pm Wednesday 11th Sep 8.00pm Thursday 12th Sep 8.00pm Friday 13th Sep 8.00pm Saturday 14th Sep 8.00pm Tuesday 17th Sep 8.00pm Wednesday 18th Sep 8.00pm Thursday 19th Sep 8.00pm Friday 20th Sep 8.00pm Saturday 21st Sep 8.00pm Location: The Pump House, 544 Tuam St Tickets: $25/$40 Book here: events.humanitix.com/the-deadbeat-opera/tickets "Great show!" - Delany Davidson
"Amazing show! Loved everything about it" - ms.green.goddess "Peter is a fucking genius" - Leigh Harris "Please, please go see 'The Deadbeat Opera'. It was the mist raw, beautiful, passionate, live theatre I've seen in a long time!" - Jenna Howell "The show was amazing . Really loved it. So creative and thought provoking and just really transports the mind and mood to a different place" - Yani Johanson "What a superb performance ! You guys all done well" - Dave Mitchell "We enjoyed it immensely!" - Carol King "i’m still on a high from last night! loooooooved it!!!! 🫶🫶🫶" - Violet French "Great work @freetheatrechch. Loving the twisted musicals" - Danny Lee Syme "If you're looking for raucous chaos art, this is for you x" - Gra Ce "This show is strange and epic ♥️" - Yvonne Dyson "A night at the theatre in a common pump house tonight. Free Theatre on form with its madly brilliant The Deadbeat Opera: a blending of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera and Bertold Brecht's The Threepenny Opera with modern additions. Hester Ullyart as MacHeath was notable for me, her character slick with nonchalant cruelty. But everyone on stage was notable especially with stage manager, musicians and crew all getting stage time. And that Stage - part of a more expansive set, and about 3m sq - part of the Stuart Lloyd-Harris/Chris Reddington set coĺlaboration... I marvelled at the exquisite choreography between scenes that regrouped furnishings in the limited space. All the actors have fabulous singing voices which served to heighten the mocking of mainstream opera. The top song for me had to be Sarah Clare Judd's 'Pirate Jenny,' an unfamiliar version of a Steeleye Span favourite, 'The Black Freighter.' And yes, since one of my all time adored buildings is the Kew pumping station by the Thames in London (with its 90 inch Cornish beam engine) I'd get married in a pump house!" - Jeneane Hobby "The whole thing was so well done by all. A really dramatic presentation! Congratulations!" - Bob Webster "I thoroughly enjoyed my cultural experience last nite. So wonderful to see a group of dedicated performers giving their all. I love seeing the creativity that turns a large brick industrial room into a dynamic stage" - Doug Woods 
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Media:
Interview for Toi Ōtautahi with Zara Potts and Producer Marian McCurdy Read here: toiotautahi.org.nz/views/if-you-want-to-do-something-you-find-a-way-free-theatres-marian-mccurdy-on-the-deadbeat-opera/ The Press, ‘A healing process’ - new production honours drama teacher, Victoria Meakin, September 2, 2024 https://www.thepress.co.nz/culture/350394629/healing-process-new-production-honours-drama-teacher Reviews: Flat City Field Notes. "The Deadbeat Opera – a low-life comedy about crime, grime, and uncertain politics." Posted on September 7, 2024 by erinharringtonnz https://flatcityfieldnotes.com/2024/09/07/review-the-deadbeat-opera-a-low-life-comedy-about-crime-grime-and-uncertain-politics/ Theatreview. "Uniformly excellent performances deliver high-impact experience". Review by Lindsay Clark 09th Sep 2024 https://www.theatreview.org.nz/production/the-deadbeat-opera/#uniformly-excellent-performances-deliver-high-impact-experience Backstage Christchurch. Belinda Cullen-Reid takes a weird trip into the sewage system of opera and comes out smelling of roses - or is that gin? Published 10 Sep 2024. 
Thanks to the support of Aotearoa Gaming Trust, NZCT - New Zealand Community Trust, Christchurch City Council and Pub Charity Ltd.
"I've enjoyed the Free Theatre's performances for over 40yrs. They are always fantastic & this venue is amazing" - Victoria Adams
"Loved the show last night - the costumes, the energy, the theatricality, and the amazing voices! Fantastic!!" - Annie Horgan |
