We Will Hear the Angels

Jan 26 2025 | By | Reply More

★★★★☆      Intense

Fruitmarket: Fri 24 Jan – Thurs 6 Feb 2025
Review by Allan Wilson

Magnetic North’s We Will Hear the Angels is a fascinating exploration of melancholy through speech, song, live and pre-recorded music, and movement, with these elements intertwining to create and sustain an intense and engrossing atmosphere.

First performed as a work in progress at the Fruitmarket in January 2023 it now returns for a longer run. Five unnamed characters are brought to life by original performers: writer and co-director Nicholas Bone, Apphia Campbell, and Greg Sinclair. The are joined by Marie-Gabrielle Koumenda and Caitlin Forbes, replacing MD Daniel Padden and Mia Scott.

Nicholas Bone and Greg Sinclair (foreground) in We Will Hear The Angels. Pic: Jassy Earl.

The performance begins with the five characters apparently wandering aimlessly around the performance space, comprising scattered small tables with various objects, chairs and musical instruments.

They begin to speak random, disconnected sentences, about sadness and loss, but with an occasional hint of optimism over a gentle piano soundtrack. The music slowly speeds up as the characters become agitated, tearing up and scattering pieces of paper as they rush around.

Calm is restored and the words begin to focus on sounds – a beautiful song, waking to the cries of foxes, the calls of jackdaws (or magpies?). The characters begin to focus on individual tasks: Sinclair on tuning his cello; Campbell shaking items of clothing on the table in front of her; Forbes on a balletic dance. Koumenda begins a gentle humming accompanied by a percussive shaker, which she uses as a pointer to invite the other characters to tell their stories of melancholy and unrequited love as she becomes the mistress of ceremonies.

unrequited love

Koumenda does not tell her story, but begins to chant, Holy, this is Holy, which becomes a beautifully atmospheric round as the others gradually join the song. This begins a gradual change of storytelling technique from spoken word and instrumental music to the individual songs of longing and unrequited love.

Apphia Campbell We Will Hear The Angels. Pic Jassy Earl

Bone gives a beautifully aching rendition of Hank Williams’ I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, accompanying himself on guitar, with support from Forbes on violin and Sinclair on cello. The song closes with Bone slowly waltzing a vase of flowers around the floor, before removing the flowers and throwing them to the floor.

Forbes gives a heartrending version of Patsy Cline’s Why Can’t He be You?, accompanying herself on violin with a mixture of pizzicato and standard bowing techniques. Sinclair then moves into the 1980s with an emotional rendition of Orange Juice’s Rip It Up, before passing the microphone on to Campbell for a powerful performance of Etta James’ I’d Rather Go Blind, with accompaniment from violin, cello and two guitars.

climax

Music stands and chairs are quickly arranged into a circle for a short classical piece by Bach, before the show reaches a climax with a 5-part harmony version of Spinning Away by Brian Eno and John Cale.

Nicholas Bone, Apphia Campbell, Greg Sinclair and Cailtlin Forbes in We Will Hear The Angels. Pic: Jassy Earl

It would be unfair to dismiss We Will Hear the Angels as “a bunch of sad songs”. Musical director Daniel Padden’s arrangements underscore the emotions of the play, while the live performances help the audience see familiar songs in a new light.

The other members of the creative team, co-director / video designer Marisa Zanotti, designer Emily James and lighting designer Nigel Edwards also make important contributions. The studio space in the Fruitmarket presents challenges and opportunities for a creative team, which are well met by the company. The walls are used for video projections of text conversations and the like, while the set design and atmospheric lighting make use of the venue’s pillars, ensuring the audience have good sight-lines wherever the action is taking place.

Lots to think about

We Will Hear the Angels is a beautiful piece of theatre, packing in a lot of content with an unusual focus on the narrow band of feelings and emotions surrounding melancholy, sadness, loss and unrequited love. The production achieves its aim, giving members of the audience lots to think about as they head off into the night.

Running time: One hour (no interval)
Fruitmarket, 45 Market Street, EH1 1DF
Fri 24 Jan – Thu 6 Feb 2025
Daily (not Sun and Mon): 7pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Access performances: Wed 29, Fri 31 (captioned); Wed 29, Wed 5 (signed); Thurs 30, Tue 4 (audio described).

ENDS

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