THE SYSTEM KNOWS YOU BETTER THAN YOURSELF

 

Franz Kafka’s nightmarish world of accusation and authority finds a thrilling new voice with Lost and Found Opera.

 

Phillip Glass’ hypnotic score coils around Josef K, arrested on his 30th birthday for an unnamed crime and swept through a carnival of clerks, courts and witnesses. Oscar-winning dramatist Christopher Hampton’s razor-sharp libretto lets a stellar cast slip between roles, while the West Australian Symphony Orchestra drives the drama with propulsive clarity.

 

At the heart of it all is Jarred Wall, Noongar singer and songwriter, whose magnetic presence and vocal fire anchor Josef K’s descent. Around him, a powerhouse ensemble conjures menace and absurdity with chilling finesse. Directed by Melissa Cantwell, this stark bureaucratic dystopia crackles with Kafka’s black comedy, while conductor Mark Coughlan shapes the music’s luminous repetitions into waves of suspense, tenderness and bitter irony.

 

Your journey takes you into the maze of a forgotten office space, echoing the disorientation of Josef K’s passage into the corridors of power. The Trial resonates uncannily with our times – where bureaucracy blurs into fate and the question ‘What have I done?’ reverberates long after the final chord.

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Composer Phillip Glass
Libretto Christopher Hampton based on the story by Franz Kafka
Director Mel Cantwell
Conductor Mark Coughlan
Starring Jarred Wall as Josef K.
Orchestra West Australian Symphony Orchestra
Set & Costume Designer Bruce McKinven
Lighting & Audio Visual Designer Mark Haslam
Producer Tim Carter

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Presented by Lost and Found Opera and Perth Festival in association with West Australian Opera and West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

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Proudly supported by the Western Australian Government & Forrest Chase | ISPT.
© 2014 Dunvagen Music Publishers Inc. Used by Permission

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Promotional Image Cole Baxter