A Macbeth Song is taking shape. It’s an exciting and entirely new process for La Perla 29, a creative challenge pushing us beyond our usual limits. This week we’ve been working in creative sessions with Martyn Jacques, the leader of the British band The Tiger Lillies, and the three Catalan actors who will bring the production to life: Màrcia Cisteró, Enric Cambray, and Andrew Tarbet. It was the first meeting between the musicians, actors, and the director. We wanted to write a short chronicle of these days, both to capture the memories and to let you peek into the rehearsal room.
Our conversations with The Tiger Lillies began in January 2022 when we met them in Berlin while they were performing at Kanzleramt Theater. We had exchanged some emails, looking forward to meeting in person and exploring the possibility of collaborating on a show. Once we finally met, the choice was clear: we had to do Macbeth. Since then, we’ve been holding online meetings to start envisioning the production. In September 2023, Martyn Jacques joined us for a three-day residency, where we developed the concept and initial trials for new songs. It was a joy to walk into the rehearsal space we had set up and find Martyn experimenting at the piano, crafting poetic and delirious lyrics.
Throughout this past year, Martyn has been composing and suggesting new pieces. Together with Budi and Adrian, they’ve recorded more than thirty songs and versions. It’s been a back-and-forth of emails, new tests, feedback, and video calls; all leading to the selection of the seventeen original songs that will be part of the show.
During this week of collaboration with the actors, we’ve been experimenting with text fragments and pieces from a children's story that narrates the tale directly and theatrically. We’ve been exploring ways to blend music and text, instrument and word, concert and theatrical action, until we find that perfect, cathartic combination.
As Martyn played the piano, ukulele, and accordion, Màrcia, Enric, and Andrew joined in, interweaving Shakespeare’s words between notes, searching for the soundscape to bring them to life. In this reciprocal movement, we began to see Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Duncan… and the three witches, embodied by The Tiger Lillies.
We discovered the theatrical play, the freedom of the form, and the many possibilities that unfold when merging the worlds of The Tiger Lillies and La Perla 29.
The songs pull at threads in the story that are usually left unseen in the text. They expand Macbeth’s emotions after killing the king, they sing of guilt, doubt, and memories of brighter times before stained by blood. The music lets us delve into the characters, amplify a specific emotion, or narrate a passage portrayed by the actors and commented on by The Tigers. We also hear the three witches—true engines of this mysterious, dark work—singing ironically, seemingly mocking the fate of humans, so childish, so corruptible, so tyrannical and insignificant.
As if we were in a jazz den, a cabaret, or the puppet theatre of a traveling troupe, what will unfold on stage will be hilarious, melancholic, intensely alive and close, special, explosive, musical, and ironic. We’re eagerly anticipating it and hope you will be as captivated by The Tiger Lillies as we are.
Now, we continue rehearsing with the actors, adapting and transforming the text into a completely unique Macbeth, A Macbeth Song. We’ll stage the scenes, discover theatrical games, and layer the story. Finally, The Tiger Lillies will join, transforming everything, rediscovering everything, rehearsing everything anew, until we finally open the doors for everyone to live it with us.
Dear friends, see you in February. We’ll keep rehearsing and keep you updated.
You can find all the information about the show here.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the show!
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