JESSICA STATON
THEATRE DESIGNER / MAKER
A KING'S RANSOM
DIRECTOR GENEVIEVE RAGHU
COMPOSER PATRICK HAWES
LIBRETTIST ANDREW HAWES
MUSICAL DIRECTOR TOM FLOYD
DESIGNER MICHAEL PAVELKA
LIGHTING DESIGNER JOHANNA TOWN
CHOREOGRAPHER NATASHA KHAMJANI
COSTUME SUPERVISOR KIRSTEEN WYTHE
OPEN NORWICH
PROP AND PUPPET MAKER
'A King's Ransom' was a world premiere opera, staged by Into Opera, involving four local schools from Norwich. It tells the story of Robin Hood, though he never actually turns up, and the villagers must work out a way to solve their own problems.
There were 160 children on stage in a production with over 240 props and 2 puppets.
A key element of the narrative is the old oak tree that the villagers centre their life around. To link to this, Michael designed the props and puppets to be made with mostly wood and natural based materials and finishes, including willow withies, dowels, plywood and twine.