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Score
A gecko's tale : a musical / by Cathy Applegate.
Library shelf no. 782.14/APP 1 [Available for loan]
Score
A gecko's tale : piano reduction / by Cathy Applegate.
Library shelf no. 782.14/APP 2 [Available for loan]
Display all products featuring this work (2 more)
Work Overview
A Gecko's Tale is an Australian musical that has appeal
for people of all ages from age 10yrs and up.
It is a satire, in the spirit of George Orwell's Animal
Farm, and uses the microcosm of small creatures living in a
Darwin house to explore the wider social issues facing refugees
and asylum seekers. Although the story deals with these serious
themes that affect so many people world-wide, it is told with
plenty of humour and the audience is invited to become caught up
the more personal stories of the main protagonists. Stories of
love, friendship, jealousy and betrayal run in parallel to the
main theme.
The musical is set in Darwin, in Australia's tropical north. It
is at the hottest time of year, the 'wet', when dramatic
electrical storms accompany the afternoon monsoon.
The houses are made for the heat with louvered windows and
ceiling fans. Because the houses are so open, many creatures live
inside, including the geckos whose loud chirping is part of life
in Darwin.
Everything thrives in the tropics, including the cockroaches.
At the time of writing, cane toads (feral toads) are just
starting to be found in Darwin gardens. There is much concern
that they will destroy the local frog population and various ways
of disposing of them is a hot topic for conversation.
The musical runs for about 90 minutes. There are 5 main
characters and another 8 supporting roles. The chorus numbers
could vary but would work best with at least 10 singers. This was
initially written for a children's chorus but could be
adapted easily for adult voices.
The musical uses a wide variety of modern musical styles,
including a rap number, blues, and Latin beats.
The musical is scored for a small pit orchestra - strings, flute,
oboe, clarinet, guitar, bass guitar (or double bass), keyboard
player and 2 percussionists.
Work Details
Year: 2003
Instrumentation: Soloists, chorus, flute/piccolo, oboe, clarinet in B flat, electric keyboard, guitar, electric bass guitar (or double bass), percussion (2 players), strings (2.2.2.2 - no double bass), kazoos for 'Dinsdale' and the chorus.
Duration: 90 min.
Difficulty: Medium — AMEB Grade 6 and above.
Commission note: Commissioned by Charles Darwin University for School of Music, CDU & Centre for Youth Music (CYM)
First performance: Dec 04. University Theatre, CDU, Darwin, Northern Territory
Performances of this work
Dec 04: University Theatre, CDU, Darwin, Northern Territory
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