Robert Purvis — musical theatre
Musicals, opera and dance — Robert Purvis composes musicals, tunes, songs and accompaniments alongside his distinguished career as a musical director, which has included London seasons of Chicago and Phantom of the Opera.
… [this] highly experienced West End composer/conductor, has recently begun nurturing new talent for the musical theatre, concentrating on pit-band work, using scores from West End and Broadway productions, vocal repertoire, giving young professionals an opportunity to experience and understand the world of musicals. Trinity College
Based in London, Robert also directs internationally. Born in New Zealand, he welcomes the chance to work there.
International New Zealand Artists represents Robert Purvis in New Zealand
www.inza.co.nz/RP.html
email:jamie@inza.co.nz
Musical director — Robert Purvis
- Pickwick, Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke.
- Nov 2001—Jan 2002
- Orchestration/vocal arrangements/Musical Supervision
- Chicago, Adelphi Theatre, London
- Oct 2000—Nov 2001
- Musical Director/Conductor
- With Sacha Distel,Denise van Outen, Alison Moyet
- Phantom Of The Opera, Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket, London
- Feb 1999—December 1999
- Musical Director/Conductor
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
- June 1999—Aug 1999
- Pinewood Studios (The Movie) Associate Musical Director
to Mike Reed
- With Donnie Osmond, Joan Collins, Richard Attenborough
- Canterbury Tales, Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke
- Nov 1998—Jan 1999
- Orchestrations, vocal arrangements, Musical Direction
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
- Singapore, Hong Kong, St. James, Wellington, St. James, Auckland
- Musical Director/Conductor Jan. 1998—September 1998
- With Linzi Hateley, Glen Drake, David Dixon, Jackie Clarke
- The Secret Garden, Opera House, Wellington, St. James, Auckland
- Feb 1996—July 1996
- Musical Director/ Conductor
- With Brent Barrett , Deborah Wai Kapohe
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
- English National Tour
- Nov 1993—Nov 1995
- Musical Director/Conductor
- With Phillip Schofield,Darren Day, Ria Jones
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Australian Tour
- Associate Conductor With Tina Arena, David Dixon
- Ken Hill's Phantom Of The Opera, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, Manila
- June 1992—Aug 1992
- Associate Conductor
- With Ruth Madoc
- Chess
- Aotea Centre, Auckland, Opera House, Wellington, James Hay Theatre, Christchurch, Regent Theatre, Dunedin
- December 1991—May 1992
- Musical Direction/ Conductor/ Dance Arranger
- With Murray Head, Tommy Korberg, Derek Metzger, Delia Hannah, Lynda Mae Brewer
- Chess, English National Tour
- March 1990—Nov 1991
- Musical Director /Conductor
- London Contemporary Dance Theatre,
- Sadlers Wells Theatre, London, English Touring and Barcelona
- 1989 (year 's contract)
- With Dan Waggoner, Artistic Director
- Budgie, Cambridge Theatre, London
- July 1998—Jan 1998
- Associate Conductor, Dance Arranger With Adam Faith, Anita Dobson
- Kiss Me Kate, Stratford on Avon, Old Vic, Savoy Theatre, London
- For The Royal Shakespeare Company
- March 1987—July 1988
- Associate Conductor
- With Paul Jones, Nichola Mc. Auliffe Dir. Adrian Noble
- Snow White,Theatre Royal, Plymouth, His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen
- Nov 1986—Jan 1987
- Musical Director/Conductor
- With Honor Blackman, Ted Rogers
- Annie Get Your Gun
- Chichester Festival Theatre, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Aldwych Theatre, London
- March 1986—Oct 1986
- Associate Conductor
- With Suzi Quatro, Edmund Hockeridge
- "Y", at the Piccadilly Theatre, London
- June 1983—June 1984
- Musical Director/ Conductor With Arturo Bracchetti
- Tomfoolery, Criterion Theatre, London
- June 1980—June 1981
- Musical Director/ Conductor With Robin Ray, Jonathan Adams, Tricia George, Martin Connor Dir. Gillian Lynne
- Godspell, English National Tour
- 1978
- Musical Director (for Cameron Mackintosh)
also assistant Musical Director for Cameron Mackintosh on: - Oklahoma
- My Fair Lady
- Cats
- Song and Dance
- Archie And Mehitabel, American Church, Tottenham Court Road, London
- 1988
- Musical Director
- With William Louther
As a Musical Director, Robert has conducted:
- Cabaret at Webber Douglas Drama College,
- Damn Yankees at The Guildhall, with Jackie Dankworth and Nimmy March;
- Chicago at A.L.R.A.,
- High Rise,
- Saturday Night Inside, and
- Oh What A Lovely War for Mountview Drama College.
Robert also worked extensively for London Contemporary Dance Company, under artistic direction of Bob Cohan from 1972 to 1978, and has on ongoing working relationship with Anthony van Laast.
Composer — Robert Purvis
Robert is a prolific composer for orchestra, choir, dance, musicals.
1972–1976
These works were written when Robert was studying composition with John Tavener at Trinity College of Music, London:
- Junior Voices (Dramatic song cycle) 1972
- Threnody
- Body Of John (Denis Glover) 1973
- Gamelan For The Morning Of The World 1974
- orchestra, choir and soloists.
- Unperformed
- Rusty Nail (for orchestra)
1976–1998
- High Rise, 1976
- Musical
- Book, Music and Lyrics
- Based on short stories by Peter Ustinov
- Commissioned by and produced by Mountview Drama College, Post-graduate production
- Saturday Night Inside, 1977
- One-act Musical
- Book and two songs, created for students of Mountview Drama College
- Brighton Belle, 1980
- Musical
- Music and Lyrics
- Commissioned by Martha Beirne for the Brighton Actors Workshop with assistance from the Arts Council and Southeast Arts Council
- Played for 2 weeks in the Brighton Arts Festival
- Gawain And The Green Knight, 1981
- Musical
- Music and Lyrics
- Commissioned by Martha Beirne for the Brighton Actors Workshop with assistance from the Southeast Arts Council
- Played at the Chapel Royal as part of the Brighton Festival
- "I" which was re-rehearsed as "Y" 1983-84
- Musical
- Music and Lyrics
- Piccadilly Theatre London, June 1983- June 1984
- With Aturo Bracchetti
- Dash With Wayne Sleep, 1982-1984
- Dance show
- Music
- This show played on tour and at various times in London
- The Dominion Theatre
- The Apollo Victoria
- Sadlers Wells.
- Robert composed approximately 40 minutes of the show's musical content, including Swimming
- With costume designers Elizabeth and David Emmanuelle
- Thor Versus The Giants, 1984
- Musical
- Music and Lyrics
- Commissioned by the Brighton Actors Workshop
- Played at the Pavilion Theatre and subsequently toured schools in the Brighton area
- The Real Story Of Mister Punch, 1985
- Musical
- Music and Lyrics
- Commissioned and performed by the Brighton Actors Workshop in the Festival and
- toured to schools in the Brighton area
- The piece enjoyed a revival 2 years later
- Gorgeous George, 1985
- Musical
- Book, music and Lyrics
- Commissioned by Caroline Roboh
- As yet this work is unproduced, but several songs have been sung in concert
- Budgie, 1988
- Dance Music
- Commissioned by the producers in collaboration with the choreographer Anthony van Laast
- Chess, 1990
- Dance Music
- Commissioned by the producers for the New Zealand Tour
- The Happy Prince, 1996
- Music and setting of the Oscar Wilde short story
- Unproduced
- The Remarkable Rocket 1997-98
- Music and setting of the Oscar Wilde short story
- Song (music)
- Lyrics by Kate Dove
- Commissioned for A Christmas Carol at The Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke, 2000
- Unproduced
- The Moon's Aria (1982)
- 1st performance (with piano accompaniment) Southwark Church, 2000, Karen Broughton
- 1st concert performance with orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia with Deborah Wai Kapohe at the Bruce Mason Theatre, 2001
- 1st European performance with orchestra, Theatre Royal, Newcastle, with Yvonne Patrick
Dance music
Robert is adept at working "on his feet" in a dance studio, creating dance music: from themes or "cold" to order.
He spent many years as a dance accompanist for:
- Bob Cohan
- Gillian Lynne
- Martha Graham (New York)
- Merce Cunningham (New York)
- Robert North
- Siobhan Davies
- Dan Waggoner
- Anthony van Laast
He creates special scores where necessary, from his personal improvisational technique.
