Uncle Toby and Widow Wadman
Welcome
Welcome to the website of the University of York Practical Project 2009, which this year is a devised entertainment based on the novel Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne. What’s it going to be like? To be honest I don’t really know. But I can tell you that by November 18th around ninety music students will have put together a full evening of Sterne-style nonsense, fully staged, with music old and new, and it’s going to be wonderful.
You can watch our trailer on youtube:
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman trailerAbout the Project
Why are we doing it? And what is Tristram Shandy anyway?
Ever read the book? Maybe you have started it and not got very far? It’s not an easy read, but it repays effort, and doesn’t suffer too much from skip-reading – you can dip in and out endlessly, because there’s no real narrative, and what narrative there is, doesn’t proceed in a single direction. And there are little self contained narratives that crop up from time to time, and are great fun. Maybe you saw the film (A Cock and Bull Story: Steve Coogan/Rob Bryden)? It’s a film about the impossibility of making a film about Tristram Shandy, and you can find some clips on Youtube (and here on this site).
Maybe you have been to Shandy Hall in Coxwold, about 15 miles north of York, where Laurence Sterne wrote the novel around 1759 – which is 250 years ago if my maths serves me right? In fact, it was because of this anniversary that I was approached by Patrick Wildgust (curator at Shandy Hall) to see if we could mount some kind of musical celebration of the anniversary.
The Damnation of Obadiah
As Patrick pointed out to me, the novel makes constant reference to music, and many people consider the book to be musical in its conception. Many composers, right back to Sterne’s own lifetime, and right up to Michael Nyman in our own time, have been inspired by the book. There are songs and pieces titled after Sterne. The book offers endless possibilities for music old and new. We are delighted, by the way, that Patrick Wildgust is to act as advisor throughout the project.
So this will be a practical project that invites creativity in drawing out musical and theatrical themes from the novel to make a musical and theatrical entertainment based on it. It will be full of ****** and *****, and if that’s not enough........
On these pages you will find information about the project, the production and the performances, which will be part of the 2009/10 University Concert Series. Students actually enrolled on the project will also be able to access material and news about schedules.Prof Roger Marsh - Project Leader
Please email: infotristramshandy@googlemail.com for more information
News
IPUP Documentaries (Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past)
IPUP is providing stimulating reading materials on the issues of Tristram Shandy and Reenactment- IPUP website with reading material on Reenactment Historyworks in association with IPUP has two films introducing Shandy Hall to the public, and we are very thrilled that music students are scoring, performing, recording film sound tracks to illustrate the films which will entertain and reenact the quirkiness and playfulness of Sterne & introduce his home at Shandy Hall, Yorkshire
- Short Documentary from IPUP (3 minutes) Youtube Trailer