'Mansfield - In Her Own Words' Lineup Revealed Ft. Julia Deans, Lawrence Arabia + More

Following February's release of Mansfield, a compilation reimagining the poetry of Aotearoa literary icon Katherine Mansfield, a star-studded lineup of local talent has been assembled to perform every song featured on the Charlotte Yates-curated collection, happening at Auckland's Bruce Mason Centre and at Wellington's Opera House in June. A multi-band format will bring all tracks from Mansfield to life on stage, linked by "a narrated, curated selection of Katherine Mansfield's visceral letters." Artists performing at Mansfield - In Her Own Words include Taite Music Prize 2020 finalist Lawrence Arabia, Julia Deans (solo), French for Rabbits, Lontalius and Mel Parsons, with songsmith Anthonie Tonnon stepping up to the plate to tackle Delany Davidson's gritty interpretation of 'Pic-Nic'. Yates will perform in an ensemble with Shapeshifter's Darren Mathiassen, Johnny Lawrence and Show Pony, take in the full details here...

UPDATE 17/03/20: due to the ongoing global situation regarding coronavirus COVID-19 and the associated travel restrictions, all shows for this tour are now postponed and rescheduled to 2021.

Mansfield - In Her Own Words
Feat. Julia Deans (solo), The Bats, Lawrence Arabia, French for Rabbits, Mel Parsons, Lorina Harding, Tusiata Avia, Anna Coddington, Anthonie Tonnon, Lontalius, Will Ricketts & Toby Laing, Charlotte Yates / Darren Mathiassen / Johnny Lawrence / Show Pony ensemble
Saturday 13th June - The Opera House, Wellington [postponed]
Saturday 20th June - Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland [postponed]
 

Listen to Lawrence Arabia's timely rendition of 'Malade'...

Here's Julia Dean's intimate take on 'To L.H.B.'...

Press release:

Mansfield - In Her Own Words is a concert of selected poems by Katherine Mansfield, set to contemporary music composed by several of our leading songwriters and recording artists including Lawrence Arabia, Julia Deans, The Bats, Mel Parsons, and French for Rabbits.

Twelve tracks by 12 different composers with a multi-band format, on and off for a song each, linked by a curated selection of Katherine Mansfield's letters.

"Her letters show her deadly serious, warm and friendly, cynical and sarcastic, absurd and loving, morbid, though human in conforming to the recipient's wishes and expectations... one has to beware of the casual, jejune, utterances, which are merely thrown off...."

The companion album, Mansfield, is out in store and on all platforms.