The Garden, a PJ Harvey Discussion Site

Some guy on twitter:

"Quite jealous of my girlfriend, she's going down to Dorset tomorrow to visit PJ Harvey to chat about music for a play she's doing (Hamlet)"

http://twitter.com/#!/simonstretch" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oooh, nice if it's true. John Parish scored a production of Hamlet in 1993 and that was what inspired the first collab record: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/audio/2 ... h-download" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

soulfadelic wrote:Oooh, nice if it's true. John Parish scored a production of Hamlet in 1993 and that was what inspired the first collab record: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/audio/2 ... h-download" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Classic JP - is more of that music available somewhere? I love it
Does anybody know?

I hope that is true, it would be very interesting to see what she would do for it. I wonder if it may be connected with the staging of Hamlet that Ian Rickson is directing. I remember reading something about him working with PJ on the current tour.

She scored Ibsen. The Doll's House I think.

^Edda Gabler...

This rumour could be true after all! I found this bit of information on tumblr on Michael Sheen who is starring in Hamlet:

"Busy day - he’s at the Royal Albert Hall tonight to watch PJ Harvey (who was at Hamlet last night and is thanked in the programme)"

yeh its true.. from twitter

pcchan1981 http://twitter.com/#!/pcchan1981" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The PJ Harvey song in Hamlet is very PJ Harvey like (White Chalk era) & delivered in a very PJ Harvey like way. 1 of the ideas that worked.

This Hamlet review in the Guardian gives no clue as to whether the songs are new or old, if tickets were available I'd go and find out for myself.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/no ... vic-review

Given the Freudian-dream framework, the other characters are necessarily seen from Hamlet's viewpoint rather than their own, but Sally Dexter creates a fine guiltily sensual Gertrude and Vinette Robinson's Ophelia, confined in her madness to a wheelchair and singing songs composed by PJ Harvey, is truly touching.

Another couple of mentions in reviews:

Another pop idol, P J Harvey, has been enlisted to set (very well) Ophelia's mad song, which she delivers in a wheelchair, plucking at what looks like a treated zither.
http://www.whatsonstage.com/blog/theatr ... amlet.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And Ophelia’s mental disintegration – for which her eerie songs are written by PJ Harvey – is a devastating parallel for Hamlet’s torment.
http://www.theartsdesk.com/theatre/haml ... ic-theatre" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Finally confirmation from the official site, albeit without much detail - surprise surprise:

PJ Harvey Composes Music For Hamlet
PJ Harvey has composed some music which is performed live by Ophelia (Vinette Robinson) in the current acclaimed production of Hamlet starring Michael Sheen. Directed by Ian Rickson; the play runs at London's Young Vic until January 2011. For more information please visit this link

posted: 11.11.2011
http://www.pjharvey.net/news.asp?newsid=1003&year=2011" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm going to see Hamlet Tuesday night and will report back with details of Polly's musical contributions to the production.

a friend of mine told me she already saw it, months ago.
it seems that they already traveled the show in Italy, last summer.
She didn't liked the all pièce, she couldn't recall the Ophelia's music,
so I'm looking forward for your comment

sanvean wrote:I'm going to see Hamlet Tuesday night and will report back with details of Polly's musical contributions to the production.

Has sanvean returned from London yet???

wickedtongue wrote:

sanvean wrote:I'm going to see Hamlet Tuesday night and will report back with details of Polly's musical contributions to the production.

Has sanvean returned from London yet???

Yes I am back wickedtongue and here is my report:

For those that don’t know this production of Hamlet at the Young Vic was set in a psychiatric institution. Polly’s contribution was composing the music for Ophelia’s songs in act 4 scene 5 (Ophelia’s ‘mad’ scene), words by Shakespeare. There was a big hint as to when the songs were coming up, at the beginning of the scene Ophelia (brilliantly portrayed by Vinette Robinson) was pushed out in a wheelchair with an autoharp in her lap. The songs started out slow and calm but became progressively frantic and fevered, quite unlike any other version of Hamlet I’ve seen. The music and delivery fit in perfectly with this production, well done Polly.