The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is a unique staging of the seminal album from jazz bassist/bandleader/composer Charles Mingus in which live band, professional dancers and audience all share the floor.
Mingus always envisioned dance accompanying his provocative masterpiece. To honour that vision and bring Mingus’ music to life for a new generation Clod Ensemble join Nu Civilisation Orchestra, led by MOBO winner Peter Edwards and featuring their Artistic Director Gary Crosby OBE on bass, for a celebration of the sensuality and power of jazz.
Stagings of The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady featured performances of newly-commissioned work from Peter Edwards, Clod Ensemble’s Artistic Director Paul Clark and drummer/composer Romarna Campbell.
Live at Barbican London, 19th-21st September 2024
After two sold-out, five-star shows as part of EFG London Jazz Festival 2023, Clod Ensemble and Nu Civilisation Orchestra’s ground-breaking interpretation of Charles Mingus’ The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady returns to London in September 2024 at the Barbican Theatre.
Clod Ensemble’s dynamic dancers will join the orchestra, led by MOBO-nominated Peter Edwards and featuring Artistic Director Gary Crosby OBE on bass, and will perform within touching distance of the audience. Students from Rambert School will accompany Clod Ensemble’s dancers in the production.
And you can join in too! Share the floor with outstanding artists as we transform the stage into a vibrant cabaret venue. Lose yourself in the music on the dancefloor or take a backseat and soak up the atmosphere with a drink from the on-stage bar. Everyone, including wallflowers, are invited to this electric celebration.
Available for touring from 2025. For more information, please contact our Executive Director Roxanne – roxanne@clodensemble.com
Suzy Willson - Direction & Choreography; Hansjörg Schmidt - Lighting; Marianthi Hatzikidi - Costume; Sarah Blenkinsop - Design; Stuart Heyes - Production Manager; Claire Cunningham - Rehearsal Director; Marina Martinez - Sound Engineer; Pembe Tokluhan - Stage Manager; Oliver Cunningham - Musical Assistant
Host: Chloe Carterr
Musical Commissions: Romarna Campbell, Peter Edwards, Paul Clark
Peter Edwards, Gary Crosby, Aleksandra Topczewska, Anoushka Nanguy, Ashley Blasse, Becca Toft, David Kayode, Donovan Haffner, Edward Wakili-Hick, Hanna Mbuya, Mark Kavuma, Tom Sheen
Arran Green, Faye Stoeser, Fukiko Takase, Makiko Aoyama, Maycie-Ann St-Louis, Kenny Wing Tao Ho, Rachele Rapisardi, Valerie Ebuwa, Zoe Bywater
Trinity Laban: Ben Sungmin Kim, Jekaterina Bikova, Joe Kong YuQiao, Katie Kelly, Kaya Blumenthal-Rothchild, Livy Yuwei Cheng, Mary Sweetnam, Nina Sun Shan, Rosie Taylor, Sandy Hoi Shan Yip, Zoe Wheal
Suzy Willson and Gary Crosby were interviewed about the production on BBC Radio 3's 'In Tune' 06/11/23.
REVIEWS
"A joyful celebration of movement [...] it’s a delight to be caught up in it, swept up in a wave with the simple pleasure of synchrony, community and great music."
★★★★★ The Guardian
Top 10 in ‘The best theatre, comedy and dance of 2023’ The Guardian
“Simon and his partner Liam, regular jivers, who came all the way from Surrey for a night out in town declared; “we are in heaven; usually just hop to DJs music, but having this amazing band swinging you on is so cool!” Trebuchet
“A good, successful gig, cleverly pitched”
Culture Whisper
Shoreditch Town Hall, London
9th & 10th November 2023
Barbican Theatre, London
19th - 21st September 2024
A version of the work was staged at the Charleston Festival, Lewes
17th May 2023
Nu Civilisation Orchestra musicians and Clod Ensemble dancers performed the new music commissions as part of Greenwich Peninsula’s Summer Sessions: Music to Move to
6th August 2023
2023 performances were supported by The Postcode Society Trust; The Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation; The Cockayne Foundation; The Hinrichsen Foundation; Arts Council England
The 2024 performance is supported by Arts Council England
