IT is odd that when Camille Saint-Saens worked his magic for ‘Carnival of the Animals’, he thought little of the work. Yet it became a thing of wonder in the canon of greats, and merits special staging here in Limerick for Bualadh Bos Children’s Festival on Thursday October 15 – three times over to meet demand.
“He did not consider ‘Carnival’ seriously,” observes Gerry Keenan, chief executive of Irish Chamber Orchestra. “Saint-Saens did not release it in his lifetime, only the ‘Swan’, one of the 14 movements”.
All told the composition is just 25mins long.
Keenan’s interest is as collaborator with festival founder Lime Tree Theatre. Together with Louise Donlon, the theatre’s GM and an old buddy of his from Dublin, they have devised a performance with 10 musicians and actor Louis Lovett to bring to life its chords and in Ogden Nash’s verse, this “salute to features, fur and fins”.
Violinist Katherine Hunka directs.
Among the musicians, each of whom has solo and ensemble work, we are privy to hear Alex Petcu who won Young Musician of the Year 2014 along with flute, clarinet, percussion. There is a return visit for pianist Finghin Collins who headlines this Friday 9th with the orchestra “and his singing sister Dearbhla who is a very fine pianist and works as an accompanist in Dublin”.
Used to entertaining children through Theatre Lovett, Louis Lovett’s last gig in Limerick was as the Giant Granny’s translator to her gobbledy gook. An unforgettable experience that he adored, Lovett has now taken on this performance to Saint-Saens while finalising his original ‘The True Story of Hansel and Gretel’ for Dublin Theatre Festival.
His challenge is negotiating Lime Tree’s “vast space” with an orchestra on board: “The lines, the performance, delivery with musicians, that’s what your whole career is about, being able to deliver lines to each audience – but suddenly there’s a double bass with a spike coming out of it”.
As for Ogden Nash’s text, “the word play is fantastic. Looking at different age groups, a 16 year-old might really enjoy it but a six year-old might not get it”.
So physical play is key, the introduction of “well judged sound effects by myself” for the “babies in arms who are making their own music”. Lovett loves his audience and the deal made between performer and their embrace each night, summoning his energy to plug into their ready expectations.
Sounds like a ton of fun, this ‘Carnival of the Animals’ so grab a seat now for his re-creation of mules, roosters and the “tortley, turtley, torper” of the tortoise. www.limetreetheatre.ie for times.