Carol Leeming FRSA – All smiles and applause for uber Diva Vocal Performance
Emile Clarke Actor/Dancer As character ‘Maz’ garnered lots applause for a truly brilliant performance
Q & A Audience Members well engaged!
Emile Clarke Actor/Dancer Carol Leeming Writer Director & Composer Kwesi Johnson Choreographer & Facilitator for Audience Q&A
Photos Credit: Dave Morris
Monday 29th of January Curve Studio, was an emphatic theatrical triumph for Dare to Diva company, with Arts Council England funding support and Artist Development support from Curve and partners Centre for New Writing, Writing East Midlands and Phoenix Digital Arts Centre. Whereby Dare to Diva company presented to a practically full house, An Evening with Carol Leeming, which consisted of a first half performance of scintillating original Diva songs co-written and sung by Carol Leeming. Some audience members comments included: never knew Carol could sing like that! what a beautiful voice, such moving songs, looked so beautiful that red dress!
The second half offered an compelling presentation of a work in progress, of the choreopoem monologue play Love the live you live Live the life you love by writer director Carol Leeming. Other Creative team members for the production included sublime choreography by Kwesi Johnson, a truly stunning performance by Emile Clarke, with Neil Hunter as an assured music arranger, keyboards/piano and onstage music lead, with arresting digital visuals by Gopi Degala, along with highly competent Producer Michaela Waldram -Jones.
The specially composed music, by Carol was for a four piece music ensemble, of professional musicians, piano/keyboards Neil Hunter, electric violin, Helen Butterfield, trumpet Julie Maxwell and bass guitar Wayne Matthews. Along with a community ensemble – 12 piece mixed vocal chorus. All of which signifies a successful new musical development, for Carol’s ambition to further stretch her musical composition abilities in new directions.
The evenings presentation ended with almost 2/3rds of the audience remaining, for a 20 min facilitated lively Q&A using the Liz Wernher Method (USA) led by Kwesi Johnson. This yielded, much useful and very positive feedback and comments for the company on all aspects of the choreopoem production. Some audience comments include: witty, sexy engrossing, couldn’t take my eyes off, poignant, lifted off the page, profound.
Dare to Diva company is currently preparing an Evaluation for Arts Council England and also a Dare Company Information package, for funding to make a full production, and for potential partners/venues for touring in 2019. It is hoped in due course, to share some photographic and video material via social media, of this historic momentous achievement for the Dare to Diva company, and its lead multi-disciplinary artist Carol Leeming.
dare to diva 