Set in the twisted world of late 19th Century European Folklore, after action on the front line a platoon of young soldiers has been stationed in an isolated outpost for months awaiting further orders. Among them is Franz Woyzeck, a man haunted by nightmares since his return. He sees fire in the sky—hallucinations that blur the line between reality and trauma. Franz lives for two people: his girlfriend Marie, and their baby, Georgie. Forbidden from taking leave during the war, they haven’t been able to marry, but his devotion is absolute- he goes above and beyond to provide for Marie and his child.
Franz & Marie is a unique and visceral musical that breathes new life into Georg Büchner’s classic German tragedy, Woyzeck, with soul-rattling Indie Raw Folk. It was originally commissioned two decades ago by the award-winning Korean company Acom and created by key members of the Kentish underground cult band, The Singing Loins. Franz & Marie is an adaptation of that Singing Loins show, reimagined with a 14 strong cast of actor-musicians.
Directed by Michael Oakley, Franz & Marie has been adapted for the stage by Teresa Howard based on the book and lyrics by Chris Broderick, music by Rob Shepherd and Chris Broderick - The Singing Loins, arrangements, orchestrations and, additional music by Steven Edis, choreography by Ben Wright, lighting design by Christopher Nairne and sound design by Andrew Johnson and Oscar Cotran with design by Bretta Gerecke.
