Thirty years ago Robert Schroder and Lee Johnson co-wrote South Africa’s first rock opera: an ambitious musical called The Ancient Mariner.
Based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, one of the best-loved poems in the English language, the musical explores the shooting of the albatross as symbolic of man’s crimes against nature…. an invitation to recognize that everything in the Universe is interconnected. Today, it seems the theme is more relevant and valid than ever.
South Africa’s Gallo Music Group loved the project, and backed one of the most expensive productions in the country’s recording history; featuring many of the country’s top recording artistes. International star Oliver Reed was secured as narrator on the album; a very significant endorsement considering the country’s status under the Apartheid government at the time. During the recording in London he told Lee he wanted to do it because he ‘really believed in the message we were trying to communicate.’
The media launch event was held on a real wooden sailing ship, a full scale replica of a 17th century vessel. While generating enormous media attention locally, especially praise for the strong melodies and depth of lyrics, release of the work was repeatedly blocked internationally (because it emanated in the land of Apartheid) despite attracting the attention of such people as Bee Gees manager and movie producer Robert Stigwood, and actress Diane Todd who wanted to stage it on London’s West End.
In South Africa, several of the songs received a great deal of airplay and the musical was also produced as an extravagant TV special with Michael York in the lead role. However, it has never been produced on stage, but recently great interest has been expressed in Vancouver, Canada.
Recognizing that the musical was originally conceived as a ‘concept album’, and not a dramatic play, the authors have significantly expanded the book, enhanced the dramatic structure and characterization, and amended existing songs, as well as writing many new ones. In this early stage they are working with specialists in musical theatre including Claude Giroux, Astrid Sherman and Monique Levebre. The immediate aim is to workshop some of the scenes and songs in a process of continuous improvement, working towards a full stage production in 2014.
The dream is to produce Ancient Mariner : The Musical on Broadway with someone of the calibre of Sir Ben Kingsley doing the narration. Given the illustrious history of the work, and Oliver Reed’s and Michael York’s involvement, this does not seem a pipe-dream at all.
Stay tuned!
The Ancient Mariner Musical Blog 