ZARA
Like Brecht before her, Lee has struck lucky by finding an ingenious musical collaborator. Her Kurt Weill is Sarah Llewellyn, whose atmospheric score (and remarkably sophisticated song about poo – no, really) is the most impressive part of the show.
Daily Telegraph, Tristram Fane Saunders
With a soaring musical score, a cast of over 100, cherry pickers, tanks, 3D projections and a mechanical, moving ‘baby’ that’s bigger than a double decker bus. ZARA is a giant outdoor theatre event for the whole family, which tells the epic story of one learning disabled mother and her fight to protect her baby.
Written and Directed by Joyce Nga Yu Lee
Music, songs and soundscapes by Sarah Llewellyn
3D Projections by Illuminos
Sound by Tube
A Mind the Gap and Walk the Plank co-production in association with Emergency Exit Arts
Listen to extracts from the show
Big Reveal
ZARA Transition
Giant Moving Dummy
Lullaby - Drift and Dream
Dreaming
Armed Force
Poomageddon
ZARA took over the courtyard of the stunning Piece Hall in Halifax April 2019 and the gardens of London’s Imperial War Memorial Museum May 2019. Live performances brought in over 5000 audience members. The live streams and ZARA in your living room brought a further 8400.
Zara performance. Imperial War Museum Gardens, London May 2019
Photo ©Andrew-Youngson
Sarah says...
It was a wonderful challenge working on ZARA, a stunning, ambitious and original production. A huge thanks to all my collaborators who contributed creatively to the music and score production:
Thanks to my baby niece Lily Masresha Llewellyn whose sounds I recorded for baby Eva, my mum Gaynor Winstanley for her beautiful lyrics for the lullaby, Drift and Dream and my best friend and long term collaborator Karen Hutt for all her fantastic work on Poomageddon!
The music featured community choirs Orange Box Choir & Nightingale Choir and Mind The Gap’s Jez Colborne, Alison Colborne, Zara Mallison, Lorraine Brown and Charlotte Jones.
Featured musicians: Lisa Mallaghan on vocals and Ruth O’Reilly on French Horn. Thanks also to Matt Evans who produced Jez’s arrangement of the upbeat lullaby for the curtain call and conducted the Orange Box Choir in Halifax and to Cathy Walker who led the Nightengales Choir in London.