Baritone Kieran Rayner and pianist Gamal Khamis have created a recital programme, What If?, that explores the World War I through song including music by Finzi, Butterworth, Schubert, Robert & Clara Schumann, Ethel Smyth and more. But What If? is a recital with a difference.
It takes the form of a story about two friends in love with the same woman, who is a suffragette: one man is patriotic, the other undecided. He must choose between desire and loyalty, between his duty and principles. What will he do? What path will his river take to the sea?
And that’s where the audience comes in. There are eight possible endings to the story, and the branching narrative is controlled by the audience: they vote on what happens, shaping the musical programme. Whichever paths are picked, the recital promises a fulfilling and uplifting experience: an entertaining script connecting a rich selection of German and English songs
“A story told well with fun characterisation and lots of genuine humour… genuinely affecting … a feast of joys” – Everything Theatre
We last caught Kieran Rayner as Tarquinius in English Touring Opera’s production of Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia last year [see my review]
Rayner and Khamis debuted the programme at the Royal Over-Seas League in 2024, going on to perform it at the Jermyn Street Theatre. Now they are presenting What If? twice at the recital hall in City Lit, Holborn as part of the Bloomsbury Festival on Sunday 18 October. There are two performances, at 3.30pm and 6pm, so you could take in both and see two different endings, with refreshments available between performances.
Full details from the Bloomsbury Festival website.
%201280x720.png?w=160&resize=160,160&ssl=1 "The Continuo Foundation awards £108,000 in its 12th round of grants")
