Part murder mystery, part gig, and a whole lot of fun; Double Vision is a brand-new thriller from Wales Millennium Centre and award-winning theatre company Gagglebabble.
Set aboard the Empress of the Sea, the most luxurious cruise ship ever built, lead singer Serena woos the crowds nightly while Mel mixes the cocktails. But one stormy night, events take an unexpected and sinister turn. As the ship hits choppy waters passengers disappear, perspectives shift, reality blurs and Serena’s life changes forever.
A thrilling ride through the darkness of the human psyche, inspired by Alfred Hitchcock and Ernest Lehman’s unfinished script, ‘The Blind Man’. Double Vision is a story about friendship, perception and betrayal.
Combining Gagglebabble’s signature dark humour with an electrifying original score composed by Lucy Rivers, Double Vision is performed by a live band fronted by Lisa Jên, and will be a multi-sensory experience
Artists and creatives Kully Thiarai, Carys Eleri, Camille O’Sullivan, Gareth Bonello, Mathilde Lopez, Katell Keineg & Lucy Rivers will all participate in Festival of Voice 2018
Andy Howells caught up with Lucy Rivers at The Festival of Voice launch to discuss Gagglebabble and Double Vision.
First of all, how did Gagglebabble come about?
I set up Gagglebabble with my co-founder Hannah McPake 5 or 6 years ago and the first show I wrote was The Bloody Ballads.
I’ve always been a performer and composer, as well as creating our own work. Gagglebabble has grown from strength to strength and this is our fifth show, Double Vision. We do gig theatre so there’s always a good buzz of live theatre, gig element and theatrical story.
Is crossing over from theatre to music something that’s always come natural to yourself?
I’ve always bounced the two acting and gigging in theatre. Its a perfect mix. Music I think helps with tone and mood and I usually include live musicians, so for me, it feels very natural.
I think there was a problem with people (initially with reviewers) how to categorize it. (Laughs) What is it? What is it? I think (that) more and more, gig theatre is becoming a genre and a lot of people love it!
Andy Howells with Gagglebabble co-founder Lucy Rivers at The Festival of Voice launch at wales Millennium Centre in March 2018.
Who are your target audience?
Double Vision should be good for everyone.. In fact, we’re making it inclusive by design. So, it should be very accessible for everyone and it should be a very exciting experience.
Have you performed it yet?
No, it’s a completely new show, especially commissioned for The Festival of Voice. Its exciting that we’ll be launching it here and it’ll be just on for 10 days.
What’s it like for you to be performing in the Festival of Voice?
It’s a real privilege because I feel very proud that I’m based in Cardiff. That I’m Welsh and that we have a festival like this. There’s so many good people involved and it’s very exciting to be part of.
Its great how Wales Millennium Centre and Arts Council of Wales have supported new commissions for the festival.
Are you constantly inspired for your next project. Are you thinking about the next one even while your working on this?
Yes – because we have to earn money, you cant just live off one project a year! Ideas have to keep coming and they do – luckily!
All shows are accessible for visually impaired people, with audio description built into the script. If you have access requirements please notify us at point of booking. The show will be sensory and potentially scary as it is a thriller.
- Double Vision runs from June 7 –17 at Wales Millennium Centre, Rehearsal Room 3
- For further details visit http://www.gagglebabble.co.uk or http://www.wmc.org.uk/Productions/2018-2019/FestivalofVoice/DoubleVision/#TabOne
- Age Guidance is 16 Plus