Preview: Jeremiah at Arts Centre Washington

                                                               

Critically-acclaimed rap storyteller Jack Dean is bringing his new solo show to Washington.

Jack Dean presents: Jeremiah

Arts Centre Washington

Friday 6th September 2019

Written and performed by Jack Dean

A rebellious, raucous live music gig that tells the story about one of England’s greatest forgotten revolutionaries.

Telling the incredible true story of the much misunderstood Luddite rebellion – a movement that spanned the whole North of England, had more British soldiers fighting it than Napoleon, and made the destruction of machinery a capital offence. The story will be told through the lens of the life of Brandreth, the instigator of the Luddites’ final act, the Pentrich Rising, and the last man to be beheaded in the history of Britain. Weaving alongside this story is the parallel tale of William J. Oliver, the government spy that betrayed him.

This little remembered story is brought to life as a live music gig performed by Jack Dean and a three piece band. A cellist, violinist and guitarist work with loop pedals to create an original score that mixes hip-hop, shoe gaze and cinematic composition styles, while Jack Dean delivers an epic true tale exploring lots of characters, all contained within rap verse metre. A vivid AV design is projected onto the stage, alongside creative captioning to help both d/Deaf and hearing audiences access the show’s fast pace delivery of a lyrical 13,000 words.

Speaking about Jeremiah, Jack Dean said “When I started researching the Luddite Rebellion and the Pentrich Rising, I couldn’t believe that such a tumultuous moment in British history goes relatively un-talked-about. Here was a time when a government was fighting a wholesale revolt against capitalism itself, deploying battalions of troops and a small army of spies and informers to quash it. We tend to think of the constitutional and political structure of England as something very solid (at least until recently), but here was a time when an enormous field of ideas of how we might live together were being considered, and many were ready to take enormous personal risks to try and make them reality. The medium of hip-hop for the music of the show came more naturally than might be thought - these revolts and revolutions were built on a bedrock of contemporary folk song, so a modern retelling sits perfectly within the folk music of the modern age."

Speaking about Jeremiah, Matthew Blyth, Audience Development Officer at Arts Centre Washington said “We have been a big fan of Jack Dean for a number of years and are extremely excited that he is bringing his newest and biggest show to Arts Centre Washington.  The show is a fantastic mix of live music and storytelling and will appeal to anyone with an interest in history, live music or politics.”

Photo: Matt Austin

On The Web:

@mcjackdean

Facebook: /jackdeanwriter

www.jackdean.co.uk

Tickets:

Tickets are £9/ £7.50 (conc) and can be purchased in person, over the phone by ringing 0191 561 3455 or online at www.artscentrewashington.co.uk

Running Time: 90 minutes + interval

Suitable for ages 14+