Noah's Flood

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People say it takes a village to raise a child. This may or may not be true, but we can certainly testify that it takes a village to put on a production of Noah’s Flood. This is the kind of show that is literally impossible without the cooperation of a large number of highly skilled people, all achieving the impossible on a daily basis, for months. Yes, theatre is tough. Yes, opera is difficult. But a community opera featuring over 200 performers? 180 animal costumes? A youth orchestra? WIND MACHINES? Well, that’s a whole other level.

The sense of a community coming together runs through Benjamin Britten’s extraordinary piece, and it’s really what makes this show the perfect Slung Low / Manchester Collective collaboration. Britten wrote Noah’s Flood in 1958, and he wrote it for the forces he had available. Unsurprisingly, there wasn’t a huge network of experienced child performers available in Aldeburgh in the 50s, where the show had its first performance. Although the composer and his festival were reasonably well known, this was hardly a cultural hot spot – but this didn’t stop Britten from involving just about everyone he came across in his new work. Local recorder group? Stick them in the show. Amateur string players sitting alongside professionals? No problem. Britten even discovered a local community handbell group after having composed most of the opera, and immediately went back to write them into the show. All were welcome. And all are welcome in this production.

This performance is a testament to the fact that music and theatre can be for everyone. We’re thrilled to have performers from Ingram Road Primary School, from Olympias Music Foundation, and from myriad other community groups, youth orchestras, choirs, recorder ensembles, and handbell choirs alongside the professional team and performers.

The show is nothing without them.

Noah’s Flood is a Slung Low and Manchester Collective co-production in association with Leeds People’s Theatre, Ingram Road Primary School, LEEDS 2023 and Factory International for Manchester International Festival

Nicholas Chalmers Conductor
Alan Lane Director
Heledd Rees Costume Designer
Lucy Hind Movement Director
Ruth Saxton Associate Director
Wayne Sables Video Designer
Chris Davey Lighting Designer
Joe Reiser Sound Designer
Keli Cartwright-Hughes Make Up Designer 
Olivia Dudley Stage Manager
Matt Angove Technical Director
Emily Noble Design Assistant
Lee Aston Assistant Sound Engineer  
Joanne Karcheva Marketing and Communications
Maddie Castell Public Relations
Pareesa Tai Marketing and Digital Content

Tom Arber Photography
James Phillips Photography
Joanna Resnick Lead Producer
Declan Kennedy Lead Producer (Music)
Linda Begbie Producer
Adam Szabo Producer
Ellie Cansdale Production Team
Katie Carden Production Team
Jodie Cole Production Team
Steph de Whalley Production Team
Leannah Gardner Production Team
Louie Goater Production Team
Flo Granger Production Team
Ben Judd Production Team
Dan Lawrenson Production Team

God Lemn Sissay
Noah Morgan Pearse  
Mrs Noah Heather Lowe
Sem Stanislav Kurdybakha
Mrs Sem Freya Hunter
Ham Thomas Barlow
Mrs Ham Blossom Palmer
Jaffett Oliver Mason
Mrs Jaffett Annabel Lam

Gossips
Bella Blood
Isabel Heenan
Ruby Lewin
Hazel Read

Ingram Road Primary School
Olympias Music Foundation
Leeds People's Theatre
Ordsall Singers
Chorus of Others
Opera North Youth Company
Hallé Youth Ensembles

Répétiteur Victor Lim

Violin
Caroline Pether (Leader)
Anna Tulchinskaya
Maia Biddle-Mogg
Imogen Hoch
Erika Hope
Eva Holluby-Plaistow
Sebastian Vega-Hidalgo
Sofia Vega-Hidalgo
Hong-Nam Vo

Viola
Alex Mitchell
Hannah Holluby-Plaistow
Arjun Jamdar
Grace Key

Cello
Nick Trygstad
Sophia Cole
Nathan Jackson-Turner
Maya Tucker

Double Bass
Alice Durrant
Freddie Meaden
Al Gregory
Eric Harris
Lottie McAlpine-Hamer

Cornet
Josh Pope
Craig Shaw
André Hopcroft
Surel Hilton

Recorder
Juliana Day
Neil Aston
Becky Hamilton
Michelle Smith
Victoria Collier
Carmen Craven
Catherine Fletcher
Hannah Weston

Piano
Victor Lim
Matthew Lam

Percussion
Harry Percy
Toby Alexander
Lewis Barber
Harriet Kwong
Martha Corley
Silver Garrett
Luna Chang

Handbells
Anne Hopley
Sandra Ball
Brenda Wise

Chief Executive Jo Yee Cheung
Programmes Coordinator Patrick Shepherd
OMF Tutors Nadia Eskandari, Alice Needham, Polly Virr
Manchester Collective Tutor Jessica Schäfer

Violin
Jo Yee Cheung
Issie Clarke
Umar Haider
Alana Lucia Luis De Gouveia
Aranza Lucia Luis De Gouveia
Zoe Mensah
Theodora Norwood
Sophie Powell Dar
Metin Salih Erdamar
Yudyone Sanches
Elena Tegani Sousa
Hao Yu He
Azra Zuhre Demir

Cello
Hiba Choudry
Jamar Hylton
Naomi Okoemu
Isaac Powell Dar
Patrick Shepherd
Melanie Tavares

Rehearsal Directors Ellie Slorach, Charlie Perry

Animals Umar Abbas, Gerald Abedi, Adam Bradley, Ramy Adam, Zarah Captan, Osman Akbar, Sara Akbar, Omar Alhazmi, Alaf-Deen, Masooma Ali, Zahmaan Ali, Anne-Angel Alix, Lloyd Amankwaah, Christian Amo, Victor Anane, Victory Anane, Alessia Anyanwu, Keziah Appiah, Rafael Appiah, Jaiyeola Ariyo, Oluwanifesimi Ariyo, Emmanuel Asare, Ohemaa Asare, Emanuelis Babatunde, Princewill Baffoe Kyere, Ibraheem Bah, Adam Bakir, Aboubacar Bangoura, Macire Bangoura, Aliyah Begum, Oseio Bekoe, Daniel Bereket, Harrison Bloom, Lillyanna Bloom, Abena Boateng, Elizabeth Boateng, Samuel Carvalho, Letícia Castelo, Lucas Chapman, Oakley-Jack Claydon, Paola Dabrah Ababio, Malick Dampha, Faith Daramola, Jasmine Day, Astou Diongue, Ferebory Paytee Dolley, Mabana Dolley, Leah Duah, Aaron Dwamena, Stela Ebhota Egharevba, Deborah Ehumadu, Fakhry Eid, Ayan Emadi, Liya Emadi, Filip Epa, Laura Epa, Amber-Rae Ferguson, Luiza Franca, Juan Carlos Gamboa Orobio, Quinley Gillham-Wackett, Kelsey-Jane Greenall, Hewr Hajar Khalid, Doia Hemed, Luca Heptinstall, Jonathan J Howe, Frank Huddleston, Anaya Hussain, Treasure Idahosa, Miracle Ikechukwu, Osaze Isimwenkpen, Sava Ismaeel, Karolina Ivanova, Joseph James, Abubacarr Jawo, Eduardo Joaquim, Leticia Joaquim, Ephah Jogy, Epher Jogy, Sada Kadir, Uahana Kairua, Eimantas Kalvaitis, Jack Kanga, Rawa Karim, Husman Keita, Adam Khan, Amir Khan, Minahil khan, Mohammad Khan, Naina Khan, Sher-Abbas Khan, Sher-Ali Khan, Almir Kahn-Mahmood, Thomas King, Dominik Lacko, McKenzy Lambert, Mark Lazuta, Awais Mahmood, Rubiya Mahmood, Stephanie Marfo, Aleah-Faith Martin, Keren Massamba, Lianna Matova, Karolis Matulaitis, Sinead McCartney, Joel Medebem, Rohafza Milade, Yaa Mintah, Awaab Mohammed, Harvey Moran, Nkenaya Mpwilu, Zaina Naz, Ismaila Ndiaye, Erivaldo Neto, Emmanuel Nwankw, Keira O'Neil, Chiamaka Obioma, Bryan Okafor, David Okotie, Caleb Ola, Elsy Ola, Emmanuel Onuh, Aaron Oppong, Jessie-Lou Osborne, Kai Osborne, Michael Owusu, Mohammed Ali Parvez, Aleksandra Paska, Sophie Peace, Jonathan Pimentel, Nandika Prashanth, Sara Putnokyova, Layton Richardson, Ronnie Richardson, Denis Ruzicka, Maria Ruzickova, Kornelia Sagi, Said Saidy, Sajeel Saleem, Saleena Saleem, Sanaina Saleem, Marcelyn Sanoh, Prince Sekyere, Lexie-Mae Shahghadam, Ariola Shala, Ledion Shala, Leonita Shala, Kawandeep Singh, Ema Sivakova, Helena Sivakova, Eden Siwakwe, Abdoulrahmane Sow, Clara-Jayne Stott, Clayton Stott, Kal-El Stott, Esther Sunday Ihifah, Lilla Szecsi, Abdul-Hasib Tahir, Robin Taylor, Alexandre-David Tchoumi, Amelia Thomas, Antonia James, Naeem Uddin, Tommiejoe Watson, Harrison Whiteley, Alfie Wraith, Victoria Smith Yankey, Freddy Young, Sanam Zabiullah, Muhammed Ismail Zaman, Melissa Zedekova, Latifa Zore, Leila Zore

Child Chaperones Michelle Aston, Lauren Bateman, Helen Biggs, Robert Biggs, Alex Bonynge, Kairen Burgess, Mark Childs, Charlotte Cribbes, Adam Davidson, Julie Foley, Julie Greaves, Kate Haines, Tracey Haywood, Rachel Jeffery, Carolyn Kay, Ros Lloyd, Jodie Lockwood, Claire Markillie, Sarah Millard, Ann Mottram, Lee Muncaster, Adrian Perks, Vivienne Petrillo, Deryn Porter, Michaela Pratt, Martin Rivers, Jackie Robb, Tracey Roberts, Collette Simons, Jasmine Simons, Gail Skull, Gwen Staggs, Stacey Taylor, Becky Thompson, Claire Toulson, Kristina Townsend

Choir Leader Steve Rochell

Hannah Beard, Amit Bhagwat, Pat Brown, Alex De Little, Hilary Denham, Sharon Dominay, Marie Griffiths, Bill Hargreaves, David Hebden, Graciela McIntyre, Jeremy Morton, Catherine Peacock, Asha Roberts, Jane Sellers, Paul Shackleton, Sue Talbot, Deirdre Thackray, Laura Vera, Sarah Woodin, Nina-Morgan Young

CHORUS OF OTHERS

Choir Leader Dudley Newell

Tony Cocker, Steve Dale, Vinnie Dugdale, Rob Grant, Tony McLoughlin, Paul Morgan, Dudley Newell, John Priestley, Steve Torley, Garth Williams, Jonathan Winter

ORDSALL ACAPPELLA SINGERS

Choir Leader Jeff Borradaile

Chris Barton, Jeff Borradaile, Kerry Colyer, Sue Giles, Isabelle Heranval, Claire Hobson, Theresa Howard, Pat Jowett, Rachael Kaminski, Margaret Pare, Megan Tripp, Tori Wilkie

Jaz Bangerh
Ayesha Boadle-Soumah
Linda Boadle
Vickie Cooper
Leannah Gardner
Yvonne Yeung
Jen Hill
Evie Hodgkinson
Laura Hodgkinson
Tess Hornsby Smith
Rachel Linsey
Jane McArdle
Graciela McIntyre

Katie Carden
Keli Cartwright-Hughes
Kinga Dwornik
Leannah Gardner
Flo Granger
Isabella Jewell
Alice Liggatt
Stevie-Cay Smith
Dominika Zapalska

Alan Lane Artistic Director
Joanna Resnick Executive Producer
Matt Angove Technical Director
Ruth Saxton Community Director

Adam Szabo Chief Executive & Artistic Director
Linda Begbie Deputy Chief Executive
Rakhi Singh Music Director
Declan Kennedy General Manager
Joanne Karcheva Brand & Communications Director
Pareesa Tai Marketing Coordinator

Very special thanks to the parents, carers, teachers, volunteers, staff and community leaders, whose commitment and generosity have made this project possible.

Noah's Flood has been supported by Arts Council England, D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, The Earl & Countess of Harewood's Charitable Trust,  Granada Foundation, Lauriston Trust, Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust, Leeds City Council, and the Shears Foundation.

NOAH’S FLOOD IS PRESENTED AS PART OF LEEDS 2023 AND MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL