Filming Brainland

On 23rd October 2023 Act 1, scene 6 of our opera Brainland was rehearsed at Morley College, London and on the following day was staged and filmed at The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Loft in London. Set in Lisbon in 1935, the scene is a self-contained chamber opera in which neurologist Egas Moniz attempts to persuade psychiatrist Sobral Cid to allow him access to patients to test out Moniz’s idea that cutting certain brain pathways may benefit the severely mentally ill. One such operation then takes place followed by a dramatic conclusion. It was a truly inspirational experience, the two main male,  characters being played by female singers. Brainland the Opera: https://www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk

Music by Stephen Brown: http://cornwallcomposers.com/stephen.htm

Libretto by Andrew Platman, Ken Barrett and Heather Angus Leppan.

Story by Ken Barrett and Andrew Platman.

Design by Ken Barrett

Director: Chaira D’Anna: https://chiaradanna.com

Choreographer: Adrian Look: https://tanztheateradrianlook.com

Costumes by Francesca Prizzon: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7717675/

Singers: Hester Dart (Cid) : https://hesterdart.com

Jodie Anne Bailey (Moniz): https://www.jodieannesoprano.co.uk

Leo Selleck (Lima): https://www.leoselleck.com

Dancers (Morley students of Adrian Look):

Angela Harwood

Marlene Hell

We also filmed a danced Prelude to act 2 of the opera created and performed by Tricia Durdey and Tim Taylor.

The film had it’s premier at the Experimental Dance and Music Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, In July 2024. It won the award for best story!

The film has also been long listed for the Opera on Film Festival in Messina Italy later in the year (short listing is in September) and in consideration for three other festivals.

Images below courtesy of Adrian Look and Ken Barrett. We are very grateful to Monica Walker and the staff at the Old Operating Theatre Museum and to Luke Scott and Tim Taylor at Morley for their ongoing support for this project.