Alan Gilmour (Playwright & Librettist)
Encyclopedia
Alan Gilmour is a playwright and librettist. Born in Edinburgh
and raised in Hamilton
, Scotland
, he studied, lived and worked in London
before moving to Melbourne
, Australia
.
, University of London
, Alan's first play THE PIANO LESSON (2005), a work based on the Matisse painting won the Orange Playwriting Prize 2005 (best play by a new Scottish writer). This led to a successful production at Òran Mór, Glasgow with Joanne Cummings playing Hannah, the piano student who makes up for a chaotic personal life with an obsession for music and particularly her piano teacher, the unseen and much lusted-over Greg.
This was followed by THE GYNTISH SELF (2006), a energetic romp through the classic tale of Peer Gynt
, co-written with Rob Drummond and Ewen Glass
and produced by the young, Scottish Theatre Company Measureless Liars, "A jaunty skim through our hero's search for self that takes in street-smart localised patois and a deadpan acquisition of pop psychology therapy speak. "I just need to re-focus, " says Peer in one moment of reflection" Glasgow Herald
and the London Philharmonic Orchestra
creating librettos, words and movements for community symphonies such as PECKHAM SPLASH (2006), performed in The Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Centre
, London. This project grew out of an ability, which Alan and Eugene Skeef shared, to quickly generate music and lyrics from stories that the people of Peckham shared in workshops, a series of stories that formed the basis of the musical work.
LONDON EXCITE: A Symphony of London (2007/8). London Excite was
developed out of Alan and Eugene's experience of doing community work with the orchestra but was always meant to be on a vast scale. Commissioned as the Orchestra's 75th anniversary symphony and the culmination of the Royal Festival Hall's re-opening season: the work used a full orchestra, 160-piece choir and 6 soloists to tell the story of London, who it is, what it as and who it's people are. Alan generated the libretto from fragments of poetry, music, workshops and stories that collected in a journey through London. Follow the link for the full poem or see the rehearsals and experience some of the music. London Excite was presented at The Royal Festival Hall
, 7 June 2008.
with the first five of the small operas being presented in August 2008 at the Carlton Courthouse, with plans to stage the complete work in 2010.
Alan is currently Associate Artist with Chamber Made Opera
and contributor to a discussion on the future of Australian opera in 3MBS Radio's On Air Magazine.
and a play on the life of William Dobell
, a major collaboration with the artist John Kelly (artist)
.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and raised in Hamilton
Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, he studied, lived and worked in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
before moving to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Early Works in Theatre
After studying Drama & Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths CollegeGoldsmiths College
Goldsmiths, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom which specialises in the arts, humanities and social sciences, and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It was founded in 1891 as Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute...
, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, Alan's first play THE PIANO LESSON (2005), a work based on the Matisse painting won the Orange Playwriting Prize 2005 (best play by a new Scottish writer). This led to a successful production at Òran Mór, Glasgow with Joanne Cummings playing Hannah, the piano student who makes up for a chaotic personal life with an obsession for music and particularly her piano teacher, the unseen and much lusted-over Greg.
This was followed by THE GYNTISH SELF (2006), a energetic romp through the classic tale of Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt
Peer Gynt is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Per Gynt. It is the most widely performed Norwegian play. According to Klaus Van Den Berg, the "cinematic script blends poetry with social satire and realistic scenes with surreal ones"...
, co-written with Rob Drummond and Ewen Glass
Ewen Glass
Ewen Glass is an award winning Irish playwright and screenwriter. Ewen first came to notice in the British film industry as the writer of Basement, a feature horror film starring Danny Dyer .-Filmography:*Basement...
and produced by the young, Scottish Theatre Company Measureless Liars, "A jaunty skim through our hero's search for self that takes in street-smart localised patois and a deadpan acquisition of pop psychology therapy speak. "I just need to re-focus, " says Peer in one moment of reflection" Glasgow Herald
Classical Music
Throughout 2006, Alan worked with Eugene SkeefEugene Skeef
Eugene Skeef FRSA is a South African percussionist, composer, poet, educationalist and animator living in London since 1980. He also works in conflict resolution, acts as a consultant on cultural development, teaches creative leadership and is a broadcaster...
and the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
creating librettos, words and movements for community symphonies such as PECKHAM SPLASH (2006), performed in The Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank Centre
South Bank Centre
Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, UK, on the South Bank of the River Thames between County Hall and Waterloo Bridge. It comprises three main buildings , and is Europe’s largest centre for the arts. It attracts more than three million visitors annually...
, London. This project grew out of an ability, which Alan and Eugene Skeef shared, to quickly generate music and lyrics from stories that the people of Peckham shared in workshops, a series of stories that formed the basis of the musical work.
LONDON EXCITE: A Symphony of London (2007/8). London Excite was
developed out of Alan and Eugene's experience of doing community work with the orchestra but was always meant to be on a vast scale. Commissioned as the Orchestra's 75th anniversary symphony and the culmination of the Royal Festival Hall's re-opening season: the work used a full orchestra, 160-piece choir and 6 soloists to tell the story of London, who it is, what it as and who it's people are. Alan generated the libretto from fragments of poetry, music, workshops and stories that collected in a journey through London. Follow the link for the full poem or see the rehearsals and experience some of the music. London Excite was presented at The Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, 7 June 2008.
Opera
Since moving to Melbourne Australia in Late 2006, Alan has been working on an operatic journey through Australia THE AUSTRALIAN CONSTITUTION: TEN SMALL OPERAS ABOUT ONE BIG COUNTRY (2007/9). In November 2008 one of the operas was presented as a work-in-progress at La Mama, CarltonLa Mama Theatre (Melbourne)
The La Mama Theatre is a theatrical venue located at 205 Faraday St, Carlton, Victoria. It opened in a former factory building on 30 July 1967 and still operates today under the direction of Liz Jones....
with the first five of the small operas being presented in August 2008 at the Carlton Courthouse, with plans to stage the complete work in 2010.
Alan is currently Associate Artist with Chamber Made Opera
Chamber Made
Chamber Made Opera is an Australian production house for contemporary opera and music-theatre. Formed in 1988 by theatre director and librettist Douglas Horton...
and contributor to a discussion on the future of Australian opera in 3MBS Radio's On Air Magazine.
Back to the Theatre
Alan is currently working on two plays: one based on the classic poem Memories of Christmas by Dylan ThomasDylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
and a play on the life of William Dobell
William Dobell
Sir William Dobell, OBE was an Australian artist .The electoral Division of Dobell is named after him.- Life :...
, a major collaboration with the artist John Kelly (artist)
John Kelly (artist)
John Kelly was born in Bristol, UK in 1965. His family immigrated to Australia later the same year. In 1985 John obtained a Bachelor of Arts from RMIT University, Melbourne where he also completed his Masters of Arts in 1995...
.