Rambert takes on change of pace to honour Darwin's birth
Rambert Dance Company pays its first visit to Shrewsbury’s new venue Theatre Severn tonight with a show dedicated to one of the town’s most famous sons.
Comedy of Change, choreographed by Rambert’s artistic director Mark Baldwin, was created to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his world-changing book, On The Origin of Species. Kick-started by Stephen Keynes, Darwin’s great-grandson and a long-standing friend of Baldwin, Comedy of Change features a specially-commissioned score by former CBSO composer-in-association Julian Anderson, with production design by French-Algerian artist, Kader Attia.
The ballet is inspired by Darwin’s assertion – contrary to popular interpretations of his theory – that it is not the strongest or most intelligent species that survive, but those best able to accommodate change.
Julian Anderson, who has recently been composer-in-residence with the Cleveland Orchestra and is about to write an opera for English National Opera, has a natural connection with Darwin via his father, Professor E S Anderson, who was a celebrated microbiologist and fellow of the Royal Society.
The programme also includes Christopher Bruce’s Hush, set to music by Bobby McFerrin and Yo-Yo Ma, and Tread Softly, a new work by Henri Oguike featuring live music by the Rambert Orchestra.
n Rambert Dance Company is at the Severn Theatre, Shrewsbury from tonight until Friday at 7.30pm, with a matinee perormance tomorrow at 2.30pm (Box office: 01743 281281).
