FELLING’S David Almond wrote the novel Skellig more than a decade ago.

It won the Whitbread Children’s Book Award, Carnegie Medal and deservedly sold well throughout the world.

It has become a stage play, a film starring Tim Roth and John Simm, which will be on TV at Easter, and now it is an opera.

Almond has written the libretto for the American composer Tod Machover’s music and the director is Braham Murray.

The opera opens with the excellent Matthew Long, who plays Michael, and apart from one scene, Long is on stage throughout, yet is able to hold the audience, many of whom were young children.

The music is strong and evocative, and discordant when required, and the libretto makes the narrative clear and, as with the novel, emotive and lyrical.

Michael’s father, Paul Keohone, with the mother, played by the powerful Sophie Daneman, work extremely well together as the dutiful and concerned parents.

Skellig, which runs until Saturday, proves to be strong, haunting, powerful and highly recommended.

Tom Kelly

Here’s where I was last night.At the Sage and here’s my rview from the GAZETTE
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/show/Skellig-The-Sage-Gateshead.4733811.jp

British Theatre Guide 29.11.08
http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/skelligsage-rev.htm

The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/nov/26/skellig-sage-gateshead-opera-review

David Whetstone in the Journal
http://www.journallive.co.uk/culture-newcastle/2008/11/25/review-skellig-the-sage-gateshead-61634-22330207/

Times On Line
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/opera/article5231129.ece

The Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/arts/2008/11/25/btskellig125.xml

Article in The Northern Echo
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/search/3860573.Creature_comfort/

The Sage site

http://www.thesagegateshead.org/whats_on/event.aspx?e=&eid=633509695822376250_165&ts=633634092000000000&spid=12793&id=12914&df=633633159246357500&dt=633952223990000000&g=&p=&f=&ar=&keywords=&match=any

Thomas Hall Review Journal
http://blogs.journallive.co.uk/journalculturecentral/2008/11/thomas-hall-reviews-skellig-th.html

The Herald
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/featuresclassical/display.var.2470955.0.Skellig_The_Sage_Gateshead.php

Newcastle Chronicle 27.11.08
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on-newcastle/theatre-arts/2008/11/27/review-skellig-the-sage-gateshead-72703-22348224/

Dave Ward, Observer review
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/nov/30/skellig-riders-to-the-sea

The Crack Magazine
Article
http://www.thecrackmagazine.com/index.php?section=1&category=9&page=1254

Flickr photos of Skellig

http://www.flickr.com/groups/skellig/

Boosey and Hawkes info on Skellig

http://www.boosey.com/cr/news/Tod-Machover-Skellig-opera-to-premiere-at-The-Sage/11697

BBC Tyne with an article on SKELLIG
http://www.bbc.co.uk/tyne/entertainment/index.shtml

And here’s a clip from BBC LOOK NORTH
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7746330.stm
With David Almond, Tod Machover and interviews with some of the Youth Chorus from the area who pupils’ at Heaton Manor Park. Incidentally David lived in Heaton when he wrote Skellig, the novel.
Now you know. As me Granny used to say, “a day spent without learning is a day wasted”.

Photo and blog on Tod Machover
http://blog.bowers-wilkins.com/2008/11/preparing-for-skellig-tod-machover-mit.html

BBC FRONT ROW featured Skellig
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/frontrow/

And here’s Tod Machover site which is up-to-date:
http://www.todmachover.com/