Basil Twist talks about Book of Mountain and Seas
There is some top talent heading to the Edinburgh International Festival this summer, perhaps none more legendary in their field than designer Basil Twist, whose puppetry work on My Neighbour Totoro has taken the West End by storm. Now he is working with acclaimed composer Huang Ruo to bring the contemporary opera Book of Mountain and Seas to the stage. We were intrigued to find out more about this exceptional partnership, so called in for a chat.
Hi Basil. Thank you so much for finding time to talk with us about Book of Mountains and Seas. Firstly, can you tell us about the story in this opera and what inspired you to work on it?
It was the composer who told me about this story, and I was intrigued by the opportunity to create an original staging for an original piece of music and particularly with this extraordinary group of singers.
You’re collaborating with the unique composer and librettist Huang Ruo, which is really exciting – what’s the creative process been like?
Huang Ruo really has a vision, and he is very clear about it. This show had many twists and turns and in its creative process there were many changes; originally the singers were going to be the puppeteers, and things like the pandemic sent us into wildly different directions, but ultimately, I think the show is true to his original vision very much so and it’s been a pleasure to create it with him.
In the show’s design, how do puppets and materials work alongside human performers to give commentary on the underlying themes?
The show uses simple elemental materials which are reassembled to create epic images, and the audience sees not only the story, but the creative act of the puppeteers and the singers. So, it is an act of collaboration with the audience as well, and the human effort and striving is one of the themes
Many people will know you from your recent design work on My Neighbour Totoro which includes puppets and performance at a huge scale. Will ideas of scale be important to this production?
There is an oversized creature that we conjure within the show. People are always impressed by size and there is a real drama to it. The challenge though is for puppeteers; it is very heavy.
You’re combining elements of mythology, music, design and performance, but what do you feel are the unique qualities of this show?
The elements are quite simple and pure, including the musical forces, only voices and percussion. But the elegance of all of this rises, I hope, to something holistic and cohesive
How do you hope this reimagining of an ancient Chinese story will resonate with modern audiences?
I hope that my production helps people feel and see the music. It is the true access point to these mysterious Cosmic and human stories.
Thanks very much to Basil for telling us all about what promises to be a magnificent production.
Book of Mountains and Seas plays at the Lyceum Theatre from Thursday 14 to Saturday 16 August as part of Edinburgh International Festival.
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