Tale of Spanish Armada in colour and music

'Shipwrecked', a spectacular original music theatre event, will be staged in Solstice, Navan, on Wednesday 19th October. It recounts the true tale of Francisco de Cuellar, a captain from the Spanish Armada, who was shipwrecked off the west coast of Ireland in 1588 and spent seven months on the run from the English. Captain de Cuellar's stranger-than-fiction story is one of survival, despair, heroism and romance. Early Irish Music ensemble 'eX' brings Captain de Cuellar's story to life through drama, dance and an evocative sound track featuring renaissance vocal and instrumental music from Spain, England and Ireland and a remarkable fusion of these styles and traditions. This spectacular production features elaborate costumes produced by Alessio Rosati, the renowned Italian designer of period costume design. Of the music, music director and soprano Caitríona O'Leary says: "Whereas the 16th century was the 'Golden Age of Spanish Music' and a similarly rich time for English music, one of the defining features of traditional music is its oral nature and it was not until the 19th century that it began to be committed to paper. Certain Irish tunes such as Cailín ó Chois tSúire mé was so popular in England that it was mentioned by Shakespeare and the Irish Ho Hoane, appears in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. While the 500 year old transcriptions of these tunes look dull and skeletal, all that is needed is knowledge of 16th century English and living, traditional Irish performance practice to breathe life back into these valuable relics." The cast includes an actor who plays the role of Francisco de Cuellar, a singer who also plays de Cuellar, two child actors who play King Phillip II of Spain and Elizabeth I of England and singers and dancers who perform various roles. The Shipwrecked Tour coincides with the release of the album Shipwrecked which is being released worldwide in October by the innovative new record label, Heresy Records. The tour is supported by a generous grant from the Arts Council of Ireland. Tickets are €15/€12 available from Solstice Arts Centre box office on 046 909 2300 or online at www.solsticeartscentre.ie