FULL THE MOURNING SHOW (Ergo Phizmiz) London 2010 Erik Bumbledonk, Martha Moopeete, Lucinda Guy and Margita Zalite

Information on the Performance

• Work Title: The Mourning Show  
• Composer: Phizmiz Ergo   
• Libretto: Ergo Phizmiz    Libretto Text, Libretto Index
• Venue & Opera Company: Tête à Tête Festival, London, UK  
• Recorded: August 6, 2010
• Type: Staged Opera Live
• Singers: Erik Bumbledonk, Ergo Phizmiz, Martha Moopeete, Lucinda Guy and Margita Zalite
• Conductor:   
• Orchestra:
• Stage Director:   
• Stage Designer: Ergo Phizmiz, Vulnavia Vanity, martha Moopette & The Travelling Mongoose  
• Costume Designer:   

Information about the Recording

• Published by: Tête à Tête   
• Date Published: 2010  
• Format: Streaming
• Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
• Subtitles: nosubs  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE

PROGRAM LEAFLET

On his regular early morning show, popular DJ Chris Evans is telephoned by three ladies.

They proceed to destroy his mind.

Convinced he is a bird, he exits via the fourth storey window.

From “maverick composer” Ergo Phizmiz, The Mourning Show is a demonic-memetic-suitcase-living-room-opera.

“An excellent opera, which brought plunderphonics to a new level” – Vital Weekly

SYNOPSIS

Early one winter morning, in the middle of a big-freeze, DJ and broadcaster Chris Evans turns up
at BBC Broadcasting House for his regular early morning radio show. Due to the abominable weather, he missed
his breakfast, but luckily picked up a banana on the way out. Upon eating, however, he reflects that banana is
not a “winter warmer”.
This becomes the theme of his show that day. The public are requested to call and offer up their own ‘Winter
Warmer’ recipes.
Awaiting the telephone, Chris reflects upon the recent pandemic of turkey flu, how the sudden onset of the cold
seems to have greatly reduced the death toll of late. His first caller, Martha, a demure but slightly sarcastic young
lady, gives a rundown of her favourite celery recipes. It appears this otherwise thoroughly balanced girl has
something of a worrying obsession with this particular vegetable.
The phone rings a second time. The remarkable Lucinda is on the line, a taxidermist, a dancer, a local MP. She recounts her
winter warmer recipe, taking her choice spices, laying them out methodically on the kitchen side, putting her hands into them, and
moving her hands about.
A third caller, called Margo. Her winter warmer turns out to be consuming black pudding in every orifice and
across the whole surface of her body.
We come to the Quiz. Chris’s question cards begin to malfunction, repeating questions, nonsense questions, personal
questions. His callers taunt him, mock him. Chris loses his temper, but has lost communication with the control room.
The callers begin to bring Chris into a state of trance, singing in the Enochian language of the angels to an increasingly ornithological
Evans, who is overcome with the desire to be a bird, and plummets out ofthe fourth-storey windo

 

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