Alceste
A Masquerade
January 2025
In collaboration with Musica Antica
A little known masque by Handel
Interwoven with the testimony of coma survivors
January 2025
In collaboration with Musica Antica
A little known masque by Handel
Interwoven with the testimony of coma survivors
After surviving a surprise cardiac arrest four years ago, my recovery included meeting other survivors of similar events, who'd spent time in comas, in group meetings at Guy's Hospital, London. Besides the expected serious stories, many of the accounts of my fellow survivors, about what they had 'seen and experienced' when unconscious were often highly entertaining, and funny, moving, extraordinary, inspiring and profound by turns. What we all also shared was a desire to in some way give back to the amazing medical professionals who cared for us - and like many, often with little memory of the actual events that put us in the comas in the first place, the stories of those surrounding us - friends, family, observers - were often important and enlightening testimony to hear too.
I met God. Well, I say God. He was actually a golden retriever, called Sandy
(Lee. Sutton)
The Greek myth of Alcestis tells of a woman who makes a deal with the Gods to give up her life in place of her dying husband's. His subsequent grief is such that the Gods take pity, and she is allowed to return from the underworld – on condition she will not be asked to recount what she has seen there. The myth has been used as the subject for a Greek Tragedy by Euripides and a lost play, for which the great 18th century composer Handel wrote incidental music.
Coming out of the coma, that's the sort of delirium that somebody with dementia is suffering I think, and that is something I couldn't bear.. if it was ongoing. I can pretty much recite the timetable to Zurich, and I can almost tell you which airline goes, at which time - and I would go straight to that clinic - because the soul is my soul... and if it is what I dreamt of when I was on that intensive care, I'd be happy to go.
(Brian. Kent)
Rather than trying to re imagine the lost play, I wanted to develop a headphone verbatim performance piece from modern day stories of journeys into the unconscious from those who have returned from coma and death, like Alcestis – using this and accounts from those close to people who have been through these experiences too – partners, friends, family as well as, of course, medical staff. The interviews are multi tonal: humorous, light, frightening, heart-warming, positive, upsetting, outrageous and even seemingly mundane.
I weighed about as much as two bags of Lidl Shopping
(Harpreet. Essex)
Planned for performance in January 2005 - with the musicians and singers of the London based early music concort: Musica Antica, Rotherhithe.
The scientist in me does not believe in an afterlife. I think it's emotionally helpful to believe that there might be something on the other end, but I'm not convinced that this is actually a reasonable belief to hold. So if you pinned me down and said, do you believe in an afterlife, then I think that I'd say I do not..
(Cardiologist. St Thomas', London)
I met God. Well, I say God. He was actually a golden retriever, called Sandy
(Lee. Sutton)
The Greek myth of Alcestis tells of a woman who makes a deal with the Gods to give up her life in place of her dying husband's. His subsequent grief is such that the Gods take pity, and she is allowed to return from the underworld – on condition she will not be asked to recount what she has seen there. The myth has been used as the subject for a Greek Tragedy by Euripides and a lost play, for which the great 18th century composer Handel wrote incidental music.
Coming out of the coma, that's the sort of delirium that somebody with dementia is suffering I think, and that is something I couldn't bear.. if it was ongoing. I can pretty much recite the timetable to Zurich, and I can almost tell you which airline goes, at which time - and I would go straight to that clinic - because the soul is my soul... and if it is what I dreamt of when I was on that intensive care, I'd be happy to go.
(Brian. Kent)
Rather than trying to re imagine the lost play, I wanted to develop a headphone verbatim performance piece from modern day stories of journeys into the unconscious from those who have returned from coma and death, like Alcestis – using this and accounts from those close to people who have been through these experiences too – partners, friends, family as well as, of course, medical staff. The interviews are multi tonal: humorous, light, frightening, heart-warming, positive, upsetting, outrageous and even seemingly mundane.
I weighed about as much as two bags of Lidl Shopping
(Harpreet. Essex)
Planned for performance in January 2005 - with the musicians and singers of the London based early music concort: Musica Antica, Rotherhithe.
The scientist in me does not believe in an afterlife. I think it's emotionally helpful to believe that there might be something on the other end, but I'm not convinced that this is actually a reasonable belief to hold. So if you pinned me down and said, do you believe in an afterlife, then I think that I'd say I do not..
(Cardiologist. St Thomas', London)