Director: Francesca ZambelloDesigner: Neil Peter JampolisLighting: Paul PyantChoreography: Terry John BatesDirected For Video By David Buckton
Kate: Anne-Marie OwensJirka: Joseph EvansMarbuel: Peter LightfootPrincess: Kristine CiesinskiLucifer: Marko PutkonenKate's Mother: Joan DaviesHell Gatekeeper: Phillip Guy-BromleyChambermaid: Kathleen TynanThe Marshall: Alan FairsHell Guard: Geoffrey DavidsonMusician: Michael ForestSolo Dancer: Julie WongChildren: Gavin Clare, Rossa Dunphy
Wexford Festival ChorusRadio Telefís Êireann Symphony OrchestraConductor: Albert Rosen
The Devil and Kate was written in 1899, soon after Dvorák returned from America where he had composed his great symphony From The New World . Although known primarily for his symphonic works, Dvorák's first real love was always opera. As with all his work, The Devil and Kate is rooted in the folk stories and music of his native Bohemia. It is a people' s opera rather than a court opera, its brilliance lying in the successful integration of simple folk rhythms with sophisticated orchestral structures without compromising either, and conveying a racy irreverence for people who put on airs.
The Devil and Kate tells the story of a Bohemian girl who loves to dance and dances with the devil. An evil princess, the devil disguised as a handsome gamekeeper and a brave shepherd who volunteers to rescue Kate, are the protagonists in comic adventures which take them, literally, to Hell and back!