Premiering at Hoxton Hall this winter, immersive theatrical production explores the rich history and cultural significance of Latin America’s Indigenous peoples. Combining ancestral dances, drama and ritual with extraordinary baroque music which combines European and Indigenous traditions, the performance will take audiences on a powerful journey from the oppressive colonial era towards renewal and hope.
THE MOUTH OF THE GODS is being brought to life by Border Crossings. At its core lies the recently rediscovered opera San Francisco Xavier, originally written in the Chiquitano language by an unknown Indigenous composer. Exclusively performing as part of the Hoxton Hall production, famed soprano Edith Ramos Guerra will travel from Peru to star alongside tenor Rafael Montero. The baroque orchestra will be led by Matthew Morley (formerly Chorus Master at the English National Opera).
Set within the historic space of Hoxton Hall, THE MOUTH OF THE GODS fuses operatic and Indigenous music with professional and community arts to create a unique, shared exploration of profound themes of conquest and resistance, life and death, regeneration and spiritual continuity. London’s Latin American communities and local schoolchildren will join forces with leading professional singers, musicians and actors to commemorate and celebrate Indigenous heritage. In preparation of the show, community members have also been involved in making puppets in the Indigenous style, and in recreating an embroidered funerary mantle from the ancient Paracas civilisation, which has been stitched throughout the year by a group of volunteers.
Much of the storytelling in THE MOUTH OF THE GODS is delivered through dance, where traditional styles of folk movement will be combined with more contemporary, expressive work. Interspersed within the music and dance sequences are dramatic scenes which tell the stories of significant historical moments in Latin American Indigenous culture: notably, the Valladolid debates, the Tupac Amaru rebellion and the assassination of environmental activist Berta Caceres.
Director Michael Walling comments, THE MOUTH OF THE GODS is one of the most important shows I’ve ever worked on. It showcases a whole new way of making music theatre, working with top-flight opera and dance professionals but also with deeply engaged community artists, whose passion to share their culture is deeply moving. And it reflects a culture that needs to be shared: Indigenous ideas are the ones that can point us towards a just and sustainable world.
THE MOUTH OF THE GODS project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and is supported by the Cockayne Foundation, London Community Foundation and the Marchus Trust. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance.
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Performance Dates and Times
Dates Wednesday 27th November – Sunday 1st December 2024
Wednesday – Saturday, 7:15pm
Saturday matinee, 2:30pm
Sunday, 5:30pm