The Danish film about racism, child abuse and self-harm caused jaws to drop in the 90s. Can it work as opera? Absolutely, say lyricist Lee Hall and composer Mark-Anthony Turnage
Mark-Anthony Turnage talks in syncopations. Like much of his vivid, rhythmically driven music, there are beats missing from his sentences. He interrupts himself more often than any interviewer could and apologises repeatedly – his enthusiasm spiked with wariness. Listening to him is like trying to hang on to the multiple melodic lines in a passage of intricate counterpoint.
We are backstage at the Royal Opera House in London. Sporting one of his trademark hats with a hefty spiral-bound score within arm’s reach, Turnage sits alongside his current collaborator, Lee Hall – award-winning playwright, lyricist and author of screenplays including Billy Elliot and Rocketman – in a small, nondescript office. It’s the first time they’ve worked together but their rapport is obvious. Hall sits back calmly while Turnage launches into rapid-fire musings on critical feedback, orchestral balance and choral training, before I’ve even switched on my recorder. When invited to speak, Hall is incisive, by turns candid and diplomatic. Both wear cardigans and gratefully accept cups of tea.
