Manchester Collective: Black Gold

105m · Theatre

Rock, fire and oil. The elements drip, crash and thunder against each other in Black Gold. Feel the ground tremble as Manchester Collective morph into a bass-heavy ensemble. Sliding rhythms and revving engines from James Tenney’s Glissade rip open a chasm from which Luke Mombrea’s atmospheric Black Gold emerges. Tracing the history of a disastrous oil well fire, Luke’s audiovisual piece takes us from rising Californian mountains to the rumblings of industry – until we’re plunged into the inferno. Fragmented photographs and textural projections by visual artist Nate Mohler complete the story. Sitting between these tectonic pieces is a new commission by composer Sasha Scott, known for her shattering, glitchy music. Finally, enjoy a moment of catharsis with contemplative Bach chorales and a cinematic vista from Hildur Guðnadottir. Much loved for her TÁR, The Joker and Chernobyl scores, her piece From the Other Place is a masterclass in restraint and expanse before we plummet back towards the shattered earth. Manchester Collective are renowned for their imaginative programming and immersive performances. No strangers to Factory International, they join us for Patterns in Repeat in June – an evening of contemporary experimental music with four titans of the genre – after Sky with the Four Suns earlier this year.

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