Collaborating with creative minds, Scottish Ensemble have forged new paths over recent years blurring the boundaries between genres and artforms. In their latest cross-artform project Scottish Ensemble collaborate with Blind Summit to explore what puppetry can reveal about music.

Performing Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) and Philip Glass’ Symphony No. 3 the musicians and puppeteers play together to blend sound and visuals in this experimental collaboration where puppetry and music lead each other in a fragile dance. Directed by Mark Down, this new work will defy the rules to reveal the unseen, unheard and unknown.

Performances take place on Thursday 13 February at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre (as part of Manipulate Festival), Friday 14 February at Dundee Rep and Saturday 15 February at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s New Auditorium.

Jonathan Morton, Artistic Director of Scottish Ensemble, said:

Collaborations which involve a different artform invite us to re-examine some of our habitual patterns of thought, behaviour and action. There is risk involved. And, more alluringly, the potential encounter with something special. At the start of this collaboration, I knew very little about puppetry, but I am drawn to the fact that puppeteers, like musicians, pick up inanimate objects and, somehow, breathe life into them. You can see this, and you can hear it in The Law of Gravity.

Mark Down, Artistic Director of Blind Summit, said:

During the research and development sessions for this project it has been an absolute inspiration to be surrounded by live music all day, I wish I could have an ensemble at all our rehearsals.

The puppeteers and musicians generated seemingly endless ideas, the challenge was how to edit and organise them to share with an audience. The Law of Gravity is of course what makes everything fall down, I hope we stay standing.

In another first for Scottish Ensemble the performances in Dundee and Glasgow will be audio described. Visually impaired audiences will be able to enjoy the production through a live verbal commentary describing the visual elements of the production, whilst being respectful to the music performed.

Programme

Arnold Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)
Philip Glass Symphony No. 3

Performance dates and venues

Thursday 13 February, 8pm Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh (part of Manipulate Festival 2025)

Friday 14 February, 7.30pm Dundee Rep

Saturday 15 February, 7.30pm
New Auditorium, Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow

• The performances in Dundee and Glasgow will have audio description available
• A 65 minute performance
• Suitable for ages 12 plus