(Cast and crew of "The
Last Horseman")
The team of THE LAST HORSEMAN has
spent two months preparing for the show's premiere in Madrid and is
currently finalizing details to start the general rehearsals at the
Canal Theaters.
This adventure mixes history,
legend, love, dreams and reality while using cutting edge
technology in creating the set design. It is being produced by
Andrés Vicente Gómez, movie and Oscar winner forBelle Epoque, who
is making his first incursion into musical theater. THE LAST
HORSEMAN will be showing in the Canal theaters for five weeks, from
December 5, 2012 to January 6, 2013.
This morning we attended rehearsals
that are taking place in a country estate located in Arganda del
Rey, near Madrid. The company performed a sample of the show: the
choral number "They Fly Without Wings", which is a part of the
story set in the Marketplace of Arabia - the starting point of
Tiradh's journey. The artists also sang and danced as they
performed the Locusts' number of this fable, written by Ray
Loriga.
THE LAST HORSEMAN is an entirely
original musical creation composed by John Cameron, Albert Hammond
and Barry Mason and arranged by Chris Egan. The lyrics were written
by Ranjit Bolt and translated into Spanish by Alicia Serrat.
Víctor Conde directs and stages, as
head of the creative team. Wardrobe design is by Yvonne Blake, set
design by Morgan Large and choreography by Karen Bruce. Julio Awad
is the music director of this new musical which includes a
17-member orchestra.
THE LAST HORSEMAN tells the story
of Tiradh, a young penniless Bedouin, who embarks on a long journey
in search of the horse of his dreams. He has never seen the horse
but it has always existed in his heart. From the Arabian desert to
Egypt, from the Middle East to bustling London of the late 19th
century, Tiradh will travel through a magical world populated by
legendary warriors, horse traders, dangerous bandits, dancing
camels, powerful princes, rival armies, etc, as he pursues his
adored horse. During the course of his odyssey he will touch the
soul of Laura, a brave and exquisite English horsewoman who shares
his love for horses and the fascination for the bewitching desert.
Tiradh will confront the perils of the old and new world as he
seeks his own destiny.
We spoke with the director, Víctor
Conde, and three leading actors Miquel Fernández (Tiradh), Julia
Möller (Lady Laura) and Marta Ribera (Al Kansha).
According to Víctor Conde, THE LAST
HORSEMAN "is the most colossal project I have ever ventured into."
As a completely original musical, it is something Conde has
experienced "without knowing if what I have schemed in my mind is
going to work or not, since the staging is based on a script that
is entirely new…One can't help but wonder if what you want to
communicate, that which you have in your mind, is going to work
out," he admitted to us.
Conde seems very satisfied when he
points out that "we have made this musical to the best of our
ability and hope that the public is amused and applauds, that they
feel what I felt when I saw productions like 'The Princess Bride',
a mix between adventure and romance that carries you to faraway
worlds." The director found out about the project through producer
Andrés Vicente Gómez and was encouraged to become part of it. "In
the times we are going through, investing in large-scale shows
represents a huge risk," he said.
The director has worked with part
of the creative team in London, which "has cost me many airplane
tickets, above all, but whose collaboration contributes immensely
to the solidity to the project." "Having so much support at your
disposal, a superb arranger and an excellent English composer, has
provided us with a great deal of knowledge," he emphasized.
So, what's next for Víctor Conde
after THE LAST HORSEMAN premieres in the Canal Theaters? "Well,
I'll be able to sleep because I have been working non-stop in the
project for two months. It will be up to the producers to decide
what to do with the show then. I am very eager to see the public's
reaction from the stalls though," he confessed. He noted that his
next project - as we announced some months ago - is 'Fisterra', a
theatrical comedy starring actresses Eva Hache and Ana Diosdado,
based on the script by Ferrán González (PEGADOS).
We asked Miquel Fernández, Marta
Ribera and Julia Möller to define THE LAST HORSEMAN for us. They
thought about it for a few seconds and then threw out an avalanche
of ideas: "People flying, towers moving, lights, great voices,
awesome choreography, camels, fight scenes, mambo, a show suitable
for all audiences," were the comments they confidently made.
For Miquel, the rehearsals are
proving to be hard work: "It implies a lot of responsibility and is
very demanding in terms of dedication, physical and mental effort;
you end up exhausted. We are really into the story, sometimes
devoting over 10 hours a day to it." Julia Möller added: "Many
times, we stay behind to watch our colleagues perform. One thing is
for sure, we don't waste any time." Marta Ribera noted, "We are
living through it from the time we wake up until we go to sleep and
then we dream about it. It is a total experience and we take it to
the limit."
The three actors speak
enthusiastically about the characters they play. Miguel thinks that
Tiradh is a natural born dreamer: "What I most like about him is
his capacity to listen and understand other people." Marta Ribera
tells us that "the nicest thing about it is that I become different
personalities: I start out as a mistress of ceremonies then turn
into Al Khansa, a real poetess." Julia Möller says her character is
the typical high society woman who is dissatisfied with her
lifestyle. "I would describe her as a resolute woman to be reckoned
with. She is a human being searching for very profound things and
she disguises herself as a man to pass unnoticed. Being able to
play such a strong female character is a real treat."
The future of THE LAST HORSEMAN
after it premieres in the Canal Theaters has not been specified
yet, but it is envisaged that the show will play in London next
year.