Among the most sought-after and exciting European theatre directors, Calixto Bieito is bringing a new production to Brighton Festival that explores the tempestuous relationship between hedonism, mental health and music: The String Quartet’s Guide to Sex and Anxiety.
The show is set to feature a killer lineup, as Game of Thrones actor Miltos Yerolemou, who played swords master Syrio Forel in the HBO series, joining the list of actors Calixto Bieito will be directing in this melody of melancholy.
After appearing in the first season of Game of Thrones, in which his character trained Arya Stark in sword fighting, Yerolemou was cast in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and award-winning film The Danish Girl.
He has since appeared on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Talawa Theatre Company and Royal Exchange Manchester.
Yerolemou joins Band of Gold actress Cathy Tyson, stage actress Mairead McKinley and fellow actor Nick Harris, who will together perform in the Brighton Festival show alongside the award-winning The Heath Quartet, who in 2013 won the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artists Award.
The Quartet will play the likes of Beethoven’s String Quartet No.15 in A Minor and György Ligeti’s String Quartet No.2.
Known for his radical interpretations of classic operas, Bieito draws his inspiration from two maverick philosophers for his latest work: The Burnout Society by Byung-Chul Han and The Anatomy of Melancholy, an essay by Robert Burton – one of the first to write about psychological disorders as a symptom of modern times. In the past, the Spanish director has been compared to the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Pedro Almodóvar for his singular style.
“The String Quartet’s Guide to Sex and Anxiety is like a symphonic poem for quartet of musicians, and a quartet of voices. It will consider the human condition today, and where anxiety and depression stem from,” said Bieito. “The show will be about how the current times are affecting the quality of our lives as well as our fears, and I hope it will be both entertaining and enlightening.”
Calixto and The Heath Quartet previously worked together in 2013 on Bieito’s production of Fidelio for ENO. Their return, along with this amazing line of actors, marks a remarkable opportunity to see these incredible performers at their best.
The String Quartet’s Guide to Sex and Anxiety comes to the Theatre Royal as part of Brighton Festival on Wed 23 and Thu 24 May.
For more information or to buy tickets go here.