Drawing on the cool of jazz, the aroma of coffee and the buzz of 1950s subculture, ‘Black Coffee’ recreates a living 1950s jazz club. But more than that, it immerses performers and patrons in a thriving world of live music, movement, human drama, and espresso.
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Black Coffee was a completely new kind of project for Move Through Life (now Dragonfly Dance), set in another time and world.
The aim was to create a 1950s jazz club, called Black Coffee, and to draw our audience into the club to see the floor show, and catch a glimpse of the lives of the performers in the club through a series of short and unrelated vignettes.
The performance included a live 11 piece jazz band, complete with horn section, which was exhilarating to dance with. We wanted to create an experience where our audience felt as if they were inside the club back in the fifties, witnessing the inner thoughts of the dancers and seeing what really went on behind the façade. We had a beautiful 1950s bar built by Craig McDonald, where our costumed front of house team served drinks and coffee (suppliedby Vittoria Coffee)
Program
PART 1
Lipstick, blush, mascara, costumes (Black Coffee), by Jo McDonald
Showpiece 1 (Come fly with me), by Effie Saloniklis
Breathe deeply, focus, by Jo McDonald
Showpiece 2 (Fever), by Melissa Hill
Showpiece 3 (Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps), by Jo McDonald, performed by Lia Cocks and Nick Weston
Cooking, cleaning, sequins, glamour, by Kirsty Duncan
Showpiece 4 (Willow weep for me), by Jo McDonald
My ticket to the good life (You’d be so nice to come home to), by Kirsty Duncan
PART 2
I’d do anything to get into Black Coffee (Round Midnight), by Jo McDonald, featuring Joel Anderson
What about what I want, Charlie, by Dan Turbill, featuring Kelly Moritz and Eddie Morrison
Showpiece 5 (Sing Sing Sing) by Kirsty Duncan
Anxiety, fatigue, elation (Aafrican Flower), by Karen Humphreys
There is no greater love, sung by Sandy Millburn
Showpiece 6 (A Tisket, A Tasket) by Jo McDonald
Showpiece 7 (Bock to Bock), by Effie Saloniklis, featuring Karen Humphryes and Dan Turbill
Showpiece 8 (Don’t mean a thing) by Melissa Hill
Project credits
Concept
Jo McDonald
Plot
Jo McDonald, Kirsty Duncan, Louise Durrans
Direction
- Director: Jo McDonald
- Assistant Director: Kirsty Duncan
- Music Director: Dave Blackmore
- Assistant Musical Director: Steve Long
- Horn Arrangements: Nick Weston
Scripting
Paul Ransom
Design
- Graphic Design: Kirsty Duncan
- Costume and set design: Alia Guidace
- Lighting Design: Dave Blackmore
Choreographers
Kirsty Duncan, Melissa Hill, Karen Humphreys, Jo McDonald, Effie Saloniklis, Daniel Turbill
Dancers
Kirsten Alexander, Jenny Allard, Joel Anderson, Nadya Baryshnikova, Lia Cocks, Catie Cullen, Kirsty Duncan, Louise Durrans, Melissa Hill, Karen Humphreys, Jo McDonald, Kelly Moritz, Chelsea Nickels, Daniel Turbill
Actors
Brendan Blue (Sugar Daddy)
Eddie Morrison (Charlie)
Paul Richardson (Club Owner/MC)
Musicians
Vocals Simone Lee, Sandy Milburn, Paul Richardson
Guitars Steve Long
Double bass Dave Blackmore
Piano Nick Weston
Drums and percussion Greg Nightingale
Trombone Chris Koto
Bass trombone Matt Bald
Trumpet Brendan Hill
Tenor and alto saxophone Dave Ross
Supporters
City of Marion
Dance Informa
Directions Dance Academy
Plush Hair and Makeup Studio
Vittoria Coffee
Woodform Furniture and Kitchens
Filmed by
Juha Vanhakatarno of Icebreaker Productions