Rigoletto (1993 Barry Purves puppet animation)

Barry Purves: Rigoletto (GB 1993).

Operavox S1.E3. Rigoletto

    GB © 1993 Bare Boards for S4C and BBC2. D: Barry J. C. Purves. M: Giuseppe Verdi. 30 min. Puppet animation. Episode aired 24 Feb 1995. Looked like a film transfer from video. In English, sous-titres français. Viewed at Plevna 6, Tampere Film Festival, 12 March 2005. The programme text: "Rigoletto, the pimp for the Duke of Milan, tries in vain to keep his daughter from the debauchery of the corrupt court. A sinister visualization of Giuseppe Verdi's opera situated in Italy in the 16th century. A part of a BBC television series Operavox which consisted of six half-an-hour opera adaptations". A fresh, bold approach to the opera, in lurid colour, grotesque style, in a world of horror, laced with sex and gore. The excellent musical arrangement conveys the beauty and power of Verdi. "Questa di cella", "La donna è mobile", "Bella figlia dell'amore", etc. in English.

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IMDb: "Filmed in a converted railway arch in Aardwick, Manchester, UK. Director and Animator Barry Purves single-handedly animated all the stop-motion action during the 32-week shoot. Sometimes there were up to 75 puppets in a single shot."

Jonathan Summers / Rigoletto (voice)

Rosemary Joshua / Gilda (voice)

Anthony Mee / The Duke (voice)

Ashley Thorburn / Sparafucile (voice)

Julie Gossage / Maddalena (voice)

Mike Newman / Monterone (voice)

Yvonne Burnett / Giovanna (voice)

Ralph Hamer / Ceprano (voice)