WOODY SEZ: THE LIFE & MUSIC OF WOODY GUTHRIE to Return to Edinburgh Fringe
David M. Lutken stars in the Underbelly production, devised from Guthrie's writings and songs.
Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie, the internationally celebrated musical built around the songs and writings of American folk icon Woody Guthrie, returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, nearly two decades after its Fringe debut. Packed with live performances of Guthrie's songs woven together with stories drawn from his life, the uplifting production captures the highs, hardships and restless spirit that shaped one of America's most influential folk musicians. Performances will run 5th – 30th August (not 17th and 24th).
David M. Lutken, who reprises the role of Guthrie for this production, devised Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie with original director Nick Corley and original cast members Darcie Deaville, Helen Jean Russell and Andy Tierstein, drawing from Guthrie's autobiographical works including 'Bound for Glory' and 'American Folk Song', letters, diary entries and excerpts from Guthrie's 1930s-40s newspaper column 'Woody Sez' to create a music-led portrait of one of America's defining folk voices. Intertwined with more than two dozen of Guthrie's songs, these personal writings illuminate the people, places and experiences that shaped his travelling years: from the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression through to Union halls, radio broadcasts, his wartime service with the Merchant Marines in North Africa, Sicily and the UK, his life in New York, and his tragic demise from Huntington's Disease in 1967.
Performed by a cast of four actor-musicians playing more than twenty instruments between them, Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie combines live music and storytelling with the raucous and heartfelt intimacy of a folk music session. Instruments pass between performers throughout as the cast move between narration, character and song, collectively evoking the communities and travelling culture that shaped Guthrie's world. The show becomes a moving and exhilarating shared musical experience, balancing moments of humour, spontaneity and joy with the hardship, restlessness, tragedy and hope that informed both his life and writing.
Originally developed in the early 2000s, the show premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2007 and returned in 2009, before touring internationally with more than 80 productions worldwide. Previous runs include a West End engagement at the Arts Theatre and an Off-Broadway production at the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York in 2017, as well as productions across the United States, Europe, China and the Middle East.
The production has maintained a longstanding relationship with Woody Guthrie Publications, with Lutken having worked closely with Woody's family for decades. Created and performed with the support of the Guthrie estate, Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie continues to introduce new audiences to his timeless songs while preserving the communal spirit and live musicianship at the heart of American folk tradition.
Rooted in American folk history, Guthrie's music resonates with contemporary audiences. His songs remain a cornerstone of American folk music and the artists he inspired: Pete Seeger, The Kingston Trio, Lonnie Donegan, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and beyond – from Ani DiFranco, Billy Bragg, Tom Morello and the Dropkick Murphys to current artists Slaid Cleaves, Jonatha Brooke, Dar Williams and Jessie Welles.
For newer generations of listeners, his relevance lies in his ability to articulate feelings of instability, frustration and disillusionment so familiar in today's political and economic climate, without abandoning his foundation of humour, optimism and communal resilience.
Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie places audiences alongside Guthrie as songs and storytelling unfold in real time, creating a musical portrait of an artist whose work continues to find new audiences decades later around the world.
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