THE OBJECT IS THE SOUND

Created by Anna Smith and Mark Pollard

Lighting Design | Merissa Tang

Set and Costume Design | Samara Tyrrell

Sound System Design | Olivia Mckenna

Deputy Stage Manager | Max Woods

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Giacomo Meyerbeer’s 1872 Opera Robert Le diable is considered by some to be the first grand opera. Deconstructing the first grand opera extracts piano accompaniment fragments from the Ballet of the nun’sscene within this opera and reassembles them to create something new. In this performance each dancer carries a wireless speaker with an out of sync version of the new deconstructed piano sound controlled via their individual mobile phones. As the new sound on each speaker moves around the performance space it constantly overlaps and collides with different versions of itself modifying the sound space and creating massive sound deconstruction of the old to reveal transformation to the new.

This work is part of Mark Pollard’s ongoing research work deconstructing the familiar, which deconstructs and reconstructs iconic objects, music and sounds to create new meaning and experience.

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Photography by Gregory Lorenzutti and Merissa Tang

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