Theatre Students Explore ‘Hip-Hopera’ Genre with Modernisation of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood
The term ‘Hip-Hopera’, meaning rap opera or hip-hop opera, has been around since the early 1990s, but made its real entry into popular culture with the success of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hit, Hamilton. Here in Wellington, Victoria University of Wellington’s theatre students are exploring this genre for themselves, presenting a theatre production of Dylan Thomas’ 1953 play-for-voices Under Milk Wood as a ‘Hip-Hopera’, at Studio 77 this June.
"We wanted to explore connections between youth culture in the rock n roll era, with the emergence and expression of hip hop as a cultural and aesthetic movement,” says director and course coordinator Nicola Hyland. “The vitality and power of words - reaching in and wrestling with the heart through storytelling - this is what Under Milk Wood is all about.”
The production will be adapted to a New Zealand setting. Drawing on the moral panic against kiwi youth in the aftermath of the Mazengarb report, this version recasts young people as the spokespeople, rather than scapegoats, for a diverse community. The production is performed and designed by the students of Victoria’s THEA 302 ‘Conventions’ course and the THEA 308 ‘Scenography’ course.
Merinda Jackson, who plays the mischievous character Lily Smalls, explains: “One of the most entertaining and informative aspects of reworking Dylan Thomas' canonical play has been our process of setting it in 1950s New Zealand. The play is poetic, engaging, sexy and comical and, while it uses archaic language, it will be an absolute party for young people to come and watch.”
Under Milk Wood is showing at Studio 77 at 77 Fairlie Terrace from 7 – 10 June at 7.00pm with a Matinee on Saturday at 2pm. Booking details are below. Please note door sales are cash only.
For media enquiries and interview requests, please contact Theatre Programme administrator, Cathy McCullagh: 04 463 5359, cathy.mccullagh@vuw.ac.nz
For the student publicist, please contact Peter Rogers: 027 843 7910, Peter_Rogers10@yahoo.co.uk
What: Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas. Directed by Nicola Hyland, Design Mentored by James Davenport, Performed and Designed by the students of THEA 302 and THEA 308
Presented by the Victoria University of Wellington Theatre Programme
When: 7.00pm onWednesday 7 – Friday 9 June 2017 and 2.00pm and 7.00pm on Saturday 10 June (duration 2 hours)
Where: Studio 77, 77 Fairlie Terrace, Kelburn
Tickets: $16 waged and $8 unwaged/student
Bookings: Available on Eventfinda: https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2017/under-milk-wood/wellington#none
Door sales also may be available (cash only)
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/719120584935127/