Tao of Glass
An exploration of life, loss and a single question: Where does true inspiration come from?
Composer Philip Glass and performer-director Phelim McDermott (Improbable) have worked together on acclaimed opera productions in London, New York and beyond, and Tao of Glass is their most personal collaboration yet. Inspired by a dream, this West End premiere marries ten meditations on life, death and Taoist wisdom with ten brand new pieces of music from Glass, presented by McDermott with an ensemble of musicians and puppeteers. Part-concert, part-performance, Tao of Glass is a storytelling tapestry, soundtracked by Glass’s mesmerising music and shot through with Improbable’s trademark theatricality.
Produced by Manchester International Festival, Improbable and Nica Burns.
Philip Glass and Phelim McDermott
★★★★★‘A truly magical journey’
What’s On Stage
★★★★★A brilliantly conceived, genre-defying evening of great beauty, comedy and intrigue’
Bachtrack
★★★★★‘A fluctuating field of motifs, echoes, transfigurations and returns, layers of mood, texture and tone,
The Guardian
gentle intimations of the ineffable and the sublime. Every so often your eyes will fill with tears, for
there is only so much that the human heart can hold within it.’
★★★★★‘An exploration of the mystery of artistic creation that’s marvellously entertaining and deeply
The Times
touching.’
★★★★‘Charming fan letter to founding father of musical minimalism’
The Telegraph
‘A reverie in real time… astonishingly original’
The Observer
‘Brilliant fascinating and enchanting’
The Arts Desk
Phelim McDermott
Phelim McDermott is a founder member of Improbable and the company’s co-artistic director.
In addition to Tao Of Glass Improbable credits include: 70 Hill Lane; Lifegame; Animo; Coma; Spirit; Sticky; Cinderella; The Hanging Man; Theatre of Blood (in collaboration with the National Theatre); Panic; Beauty and the Beast (in co-production with ONEOFUS); The Tempest (a co-production with Northern Stage and Oxford Playhouse); Opening Skinners Box (a co-production with Northern Stage and West Yorkshire Playhouse); Lost Without Words (a coproduction with the National Theatre), My Neighbour Totoro (RSC and Nippon TV at Barbican) winner of six Olivier Awards including Best Director and best Entertainment of Comedy Play and five Whats On Stage Awards also including Best Director.
Opera credits with Improbable include: Philip Glass’s Satyagraha (ENO, LA Opera); The Perfect American, the Olivier Award-winning Akhnaten, Mozart’s Così fan tutte (ENO and Metropolitan Opera, NY); Aida (ENO) and; BambinO, an opera for babies (originally co-produced with Manchester International Festival and Scottish Opera, now with LA Opera); The Hours (Metropolitan Opera).
Other productions as director include: the Olivier Award-winning Shockheaded Peter; Alex (The Arts Theatre); The Ghost Downstairs (Leicester Haymarket); Dr Faustus, Improbable Tales (Nottingham Playhouse); The Servant of Two Masters, The Hunchback of Notre Dame; The Government Inspector (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and Artistic Collaborator on She’s Leaving Home (produced by 20 Stories High).
In 2003 Phelim was awarded a National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) fellowship to research new ways of rehearsing and creating theatre using improvisation and process-oriented conflict facilitation techniques. As part of this work he has facilitated many Open Space Technology events. He was made an Honorary Doctor of Middlesex University in 2007.
Philip Glass
Composer
Phelim McDermott
Writer & Co-Director
Kirsty Housley
Co-Director
Fly Davis
Set & Costume Designer
Colin Grenfell
Lighting Designer
Giles Thomas
Sound Designer
Chris Vatalaro
Musical Director
Lyndie Wright
Puppet Designer & Puppet Maker
Access performances at Nimax Theatres are now available to purchase online. You can purchase up to two tickets online for the below performances.
Access Seating:
For all performances, you can select up to two seats at our discounted access rate of 50% off per person. These include:
- Wheelchair park and companion seats
- End-of-aisle seating
- Central row seating
If you’ll remain in your wheelchair choose wheelchair spaces. For all other access requriements including transferring, choose access tickets.
To make a wheelchair transfer booking, purchase more than two tickets or to discuss your seating requirements further, please contact our Access team on 0330 333 4815 or access@nimaxtheatres.com.
Groups Rate (10+ Tickets)
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