Lucia Joyce | Production Concept

Dramatis Personae

James Joyce | literary giant, bass-baritone
Lucia | his daughter, soprano
Giorgio | James’ son, Lucia’s brother, bass
Nora | James’ wife, Lucia’s mother, alto
Samuel Beckett | James’ amanuensis, Lucia’s paramour, tenor
Stephen Joyce | James’ grandson, Lucia’s nephew, silent role
Misc. Parisian hangers-on (chorus)

ORCHESTRATION

The orchestra is an ensemble of string quartet, jazz saxophone, piano, bass and percussion (expandable to full orchestra).

ESTIMATED LENGTH

The estimated length is 90 minutes.

Visuals

The look of the piece will be inspired by 1920’s Paris, but with a contemporary feeling. The goal is to capture the dynamism and creative fervor of that period, with true-to-life characters, without surrendering completely to a retro aesthetic.

Music

The music is melodic and emotionally direct, grounded in traditional opera, but with a strong, driving jazz sound, and subtle inflections of pop and Irish music. Joyce was an opera lover, and there are echoes of the operas that he loved, particularly Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. There are also references to the music created in 1920s Paris that Lucia would’ve danced to. Passages of improvisation for the jazz instruments will give a fresh feeling to each performance, and also give the music a distinct sound.

Dance

Lucia was a dancer, and dance will be an important part of the piece. The choreography will be conversant with the historical techniques Lucia trained in, such as Dalcroze and Eurhytmics, while creating a choreography that’s contemporary and vital.

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