MUSIC: Southport festival show is visually stunning

Apr 23 2008 by Philip Key, Liverpool Daily Post

IT ALL began when composer Ethan Lewis Maltby was asked to create a percussion ensemble for non percussionists at the university in Canterbury where he was teaching.

He work-shopped the idea in 2000 and a couple of years later came up with a show which combined lighting, video and comedy alongside some improvised percussion pieces and he filmed a video version of it.

Then he forgot about it to write a musical, Courtenay.

It was during the run of that show that he met a couple of producers who saw the old video, and were impressed , impressed enough to put together a 50 minute version for the Edinburgh Festival.

As the original music had been improvised, Maltby wrote a new score and recruited a ten strong cast. The success during its run at The Gilded Balloon in 2004 was such that a national tour was quickly arranged.

The show – Noise Ensemble – is now on its second tour and arrives at the Southport Arts Centre tomorrow trailing a series of rave reviews

The once-small show is now a multi-media experience with lighting, dancing, video and a lot of comedy.

* NOISE Ensemble is at the Southport Arts Centre tomorrow, 7.30pm. Tickets £14. 01704 540011.