yorkroyal

theatre

Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union

Co-commissioned by The Lowry for Week 53

HANNAHPEELnotes on composing for brightonrock

MAKING

BRIGHTONROCK

The slang spoken by the mob in the novel BrightonRock (1938) was purportedly acquired by GrahamGreene after an encounter at Wandsworth Stadium.From its opening in 1933, the Stadium hostedgreyhound racing and seated up to 14,000 people.Dog racing typically attracted money laundering inthis period, along with other criminal activity to tryand influence the outcome of the race andWandsworth was no exception. Violence erupted at an event there in 1936, whentwo rival gangs fought in full view of racegoers,culminating in the infamous murder of a gangmember. Greene spent an evening socialising witha man who was suspected to have been aninformant to the 'bogies' following the WandsworthStadium Murder; the scar on his face indicating hehad been 'carved'. In his literary autobiographyWays of Escape (1980), the author wryly admits,'He taught me the only professional slang I knew,but one cannot learn a language in one nighthowever long'.

The slang spoken by the mob in the novel BrightonRock (1938) was purportedly acquired by GrahamGreene after an encounter at Wandsworth Stadium.From its opening in 1933, the Stadium hostedgreyhound racing and seated up to 14,000 people.Dog racing typically attracted money laundering inthis period, along with other criminal activity to tryand influence the outcome of the race andWandsworth was no exception. Violence erupted at an event there in 1936, whentwo rival gangs fought in full view of racegoers,culminating in the infamous murder of a gangmember. Greene spent an evening socialising witha man who was suspected to have been aninformant to the 'bogies' following the WandsworthStadium Murder; the scar on his face indicating hehad been 'carved'. In his literary autobiographyWays of Escape (1980), the author wryly admits,'He taught me the only professional slang I knew,but one cannot learn a language in one nighthowever long'.

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The Northern Irish artist, singer andelectronic composer Hannah Peelhas collaborated with the likes ofJohn Foxx, Paul Weller, TheMagnetic North, Rae Morris, ErolAlkan and OMD. She has scoredand produced music for TV and filmin the UK, Ireland and US. BrightonRock is her first full theatrecomposition. Her own solo releaseshave achieved much critical acclaim:Observer Readers Album of the Year2017, earning her the accolade of‘A latter day Delia Derbyshire’ andwinning 'No.1 Electronic Album of

the Year' by Electronic SoundMagazine. Awake But AlwaysDreaming, released in 2016 drawson personal experiences of hergrandmother ‘awakening’ fromdementia through music – Peel hasdescribed this album as ‘a dive intothe rabbit hole of the brain’. Hermost recent album Mary Casio:Journey to Cassiopeia, released in2017 is a seven-movement odysseycomposed for analogue synthesizers and full, traditional 29-piece collierybrassband. Described by Mojomagazine as ‘celestial, mysteriousand awe-inspiring’ and the first album of its kind, itexplores oneperson's journey to outer space byrecounting the story of an unknown,elderly, pioneering, electronicmusical stargazer and her lifelongdream to leave her terraced homein the mining town of Barnsley,South Yorkshire to see Cassiopeiafor herself. The journey continuesPeel’s fascination with the brain andthe explorative links betweenmemory and music.www.hannahpeel.com

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York Theatre Royal has been producing bold and original drama since 1744 and welcomes over 200,000 people each year. In 2016 the theatre underwent a £6 million redevelopment, representing the largest investment in the building in 50 years. Having been a core part of the city’s life blood for over 270 years, at the centre of York’s vibrant community, we are excited for the year ahead, particularly as we’ve recently welcomed Tom Bird as our new Executive Director. York Theatre Royal is one of the UK’s leading creative producers and presenters, constantly building on its reputation for producing high quality and ambitious theatre with highly regarded productions of new commissions, revivals at all scales and each year delivering a pantomime of international renown. The theatre serves audiences of all ages – children, young people, adults and seniors. Large scale community productions including the 2017 York Theatre Royal and Pilot Theatre co-production Everything Is Possible: The York Suffragettes with 350 community collaborators. Alongside Brighton Rock, the spring 2018 season includes the world première of The Be All and End All, a new drama by Jonathan Lewis starring Imogen Stubbs, and a musical homage to Edith Piaf, Hymn To Love, both directed by our Artistic Director Damian Cruden. Always at the heart of our community, York Theatre Royal is a registered charity with a clear mission to inspire and cultivate the potential of our community through the creative arts.

Registered charity no. 229396

YORK THEATRE ROYAL

yorkroyal

theatre

Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union