In a new opera, Damon Albarn explores the life of Dr John Dee, 16th-century mathematician and adviser to Queen Elizabeth I
Dr Dee
Palace Theatre, Manchester International Festival, until 9 July
JOHN DEE, the 16th-century mathematician and occultist at the centre of Queen Elizabeth I鈥檚 court, has inspired some of the world鈥檚 greatest minds. Shakespeare evoked him as the enigmatic conjuror Prospero in The Tempest, while Christopher Marlowe created the power-hungry Doctor Faustus, who sold his soul to the devil for greater knowledge.
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鈥淭hose are rather fantastical fictions,鈥� says Rufus Norris, who is directing a new opera about Dee written by Damon Albarn. 鈥淏ut sometimes the truth is far more interesting.鈥�
The opera, Dr Dee, which premieres at the Manchester International Festival in the UK this week, was conceived when festival organisers approached graphic novelist Alan Moore 鈥� who created V for Vendetta and From Hell 鈥� to work on a new project about the life of an obscure but important figure from English history. Moore chose Dee as his subject, and Albarn, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of the bands Blur and Gorillaz, came on board to write the music. Moore later left 鈥渇or reasons that we鈥檙e not quite sure of鈥�, says Norris, but the seeds of the idea had been sown.
Albarn and Norris could hardly have had a richer source of inspiration for their opera. Dee鈥檚 early life was marked by intellectual successes that earned him respect in Elizabeth鈥檚 court. He popularised Euclidean geometry in academic circles and was an early supporter of Copernicus鈥檚 model of the universe. He also developed mathematical techniques to help sailors navigate by the stars, meaning that boats could venture out on new routes away from the coast 鈥� a key development in exploring the New World and ultimately building England鈥檚 empire. And, like other intellectuals of his era, after the emergence of the supernova in the constellation Cassiopeia in 1572, Dee likely contemplated the universe as a never-ending expanse of space and stars, says his biographer Benjamin Woolley.
Dee鈥檚 magpie curiosity was ultimately his downfall, however. Frustrated by the limits of his knowledge, in the 1580s he turned to the occult under the guidance of the medium Edward Kelley. Yet Kelley 鈥� a charismatic and manipulative individual 鈥� seems to have had an ulterior motive. 鈥淗e took a fancy to Dee鈥檚 wife,鈥� says Woolley. While the group was in Bohemia, Kelley persuaded Dee that the angel Uriel had ordered them to share their wives.
鈥淒ee鈥檚 magpie curiosity was ultimately his downfall, as he turned to the occult in the 1580s鈥�
It was a massive turning point in Dee鈥檚 life. His relationship with Kelley collapsed, and he returned home to find his famous library ransacked by rivals. Thanks to his forays into mysticism, he also received an icy reception at the court that had once adored him. Dee eventually died in poverty.
So how do you dramatise such a life? Norris and Albarn have taken an unusual approach. Though he will sometimes sing as Dee, Albarn will play himself. 鈥淚鈥檓 singing but I鈥檓 not an actor 鈥� I鈥檓 not wearing a ruff and tights,鈥� he says. The opera will open with Albarn by himself, before cutting to Dee鈥檚 deathbed to explore the incidents and characters that shaped his life.
Albarn鈥檚 music will be performed with a mixture of traditional Elizabethan instruments and west African drumming by Nigerian composer and drummer Tony Allen. 鈥淭he sounds that travelled from Africa into Europe at that time were really important,鈥� says Albarn. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 been somewhat passed over in modern history.鈥� The show also features 23 members of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big sound.鈥�
The ensemble hopes to explore the resonances between the England of today and Dee鈥檚 nation at the cusp of its golden age. 鈥淒ee was a huge figure in the reign of Elizabeth I, and here we are at the end of another Elizabeth鈥檚 reign, her twilight years 鈥� and the empire has sort of evaporated,鈥� says Albarn. 鈥淚 think there鈥檚 a real connection between these two moments.鈥�
The result would have perhaps found favour with Dee, says Woolley. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just the kind of weird and wonderful experiment that he would have loved.鈥�
