Scrap Operas video (1989-90).
This is a newly edited 15 minute guide to the process of creating a piece for up to 250 performers in 6 hours flat, from scratch and from scrap.
You will see children with performers such as Rosie Ashe, Andrew Shore, Stewart Copeland, Evelyn Glennie, Jonathan Dove and Bill Oddie get stuck into French Revolution and Rainforest events.
Many thanks to Douglas Lowndes for the original film (shot on U-matic tape with VHS inserts) and Richard Duncker for making this edit from a digitised copy.
Scrap and Scratch Opera was a ground-breaking venture in its time; I will tell the story in more detail soon.
Anna D says:
My sister just told me she hadn’t been on TV. I reminded her she had – when we were dressed like trees with Bill Oddie… this led us to an internet search trying to find evidence that this really happened (after singing the words of the “Leaf me alone” song), which brought us here! Having watched the video we just about managed to spot ourselves. Thanks for posting! Do you happen to have any other material from the day?
Chez says:
Did one of these in 1988, it was about the Spanish armarda and was held at the national maritime museum in Greenwich. It was such a good day but I can’t find anything about it online