Nicky Spence on the West End's immersive new Handel experience

Immersive Everywhere, the production company behind immersive theatre and dance experiences Peaky Blinders: The Rise, Doctor Who: Time Fracture and The Great Gatsby, might seem like an odd choice for a performance of Handel’s Messiah. But, on 6 December, it will be doing just that, with its one-night-only performance of Handel’s Messiah: The Live Experience, produced by its new venture, Classical Everywhere.

Designed to attract audiences of classical music lovers and newcomers to the genre, the performance aims to realise a new vision for live classical music using dance, lighting, visual effects and a star-studded cast. The English Chamber Orchestra and London Symphony Chorus will join forces under the leadership of Gregory Batsleer, artistic director and founding member of Classical Everywhere with soloists soprano Danielle de Niese, mezzo Iddunu Münch, bass Cody Quattlebaum and tenor Nicky Spence.

I caught up with Spence to find out more about what audiences can expect from the Live Experience and how he’s approaching this new concert format as a performer.

Multimedia creative partners on the project, Flora Fauna Vision have created this render of one of the animated projections that will form the backdrop of the performance © Flora Fauna Vision

Can you talk a little bit about the idea behind Handel’s Messiah: The Live Experience?

Handel's Messiah has been sung for so long and it's something that I've been singing for years and years, so really, it is one of the best stories ever told. With the Live Experience we are basically looking at it through a slightly different prism. It's exactly the same material, but we are gilding the lily somewhat, and I think that it's going to make it even more accessible for people that might have never seen the Messiah before or might have a preconceived idea of what a classical music concert is.

I’m really happy to be involved because Messiah is one of my favourite pieces. It's not something I get asked to do very often because I've moved into slightly heavier repertoire, but I really enjoy the storytelling element of it. The fact that Classical Everywhere are making it even more accessible is everything that I'm about. I'm really about making classical music really exciting without dumbing the actual material down.

What can audiences expect from this performance?

They're going to be walking off the street into a different world. It will be completely unexpected. The Messiah is pretty dramatic anyway, but I think that people often misconceive the idea of a classical concert not having a narrative, so for people that will be hearing it for the first time they'll think, “Wow, I didn't realise this music was so cool, that this story is so dramatic.” Even for people that know the material they will feel like they’re hearing it for the first time. With all works like this, they're the same stories which we've heard for years, on all of the same themes of love, life, sacrifice, so there's no reason why it can’t be as popular as anything else in the West End, or indeed on film or television.

What are you most looking forward to as part of this new concert format?

Collaborating with dancers. I love dancing so much. I used to dance quite a bit when I was a kid and then obviously as I got into singing, I've done it less. I always try and find an element of movement in any piece that I do, I find that that it informs the character so much. In this piece, I know that there's going to be a lot of interaction with dancers and movement and whenever I've done operas in the past which have that collaboration, they're always so much more dynamic.

As a singer, how are you preparing for this different type of performance?

Apart from a myriad of lunges, I think that I will just be going in with a really open mind. I'll have a couple of ideas to bring to the party as I always do because I feel it's my responsibility, but I’ll very much see what else is on the table. We’ll be going for a tippity top musical experience and as soon as we've got that, then we will be integrating a lot of movement and storytelling.

Whenever I do a Messiah I do quite a dramatic turn and I've done it off copy for years because I hate being bound by the music. It's so nice not to have the score and being able to just really tell the story. Every concert should be about the narrative and the impact that we can have to turn people on to this wonderful music. As soon as you give somebody the key to the piece, you don't have to do any more explanation, they're in probably for life.

Classical Everywhere has ditched the traditional classical concert format with this production. Do you think the traditional format might be phased out in the future?

I think there is a place for everything, but it is our responsibility to ensure an audience for the future. We have to take the arts seriously and make sure the music is absolutely top standard, but once we’ve done that, we can wear our craft quite lightly in terms of the way that we present it. Anything that gets somebody into an Opera House or in to see a concert is fantastic. I always take the music very seriously, but I don't take myself seriously. I think that puts people at ease.

How do you think the composer would have felt about this new interpretation of his work?

I think it's important for us always just to keep on exploring, and I think it's what Handel would have wanted. He was already quite beyond his years in terms of the themes and the way that he presented so I think he would have thoroughly approved.

What advice do you have for other performers and organisers looking to make their performance accessible to a wider audience?

Make it an accessible price point for starters. I would encourage people to try English National Opera’s model of having free tickets for anybody under 21. Classical music shouldn’t seem like something completely unattainable, it has to be possible for people to come in almost by accident. That's how I got involved with opera, somebody offered me pizza before a performance and that's how I got in there. We have to be kind of canny in terms of the way that we turn audiences onto our work.

Also, I think representation is so important, not in a tokenistic way, but so that we actually properly represent everybody in classical music in all forms. I think that's really important, because if people see themselves on stage, then it will be so much more accessible to them as well.

Obviously, music education is a huge part of that as well. We cannot see classical music on stage as a finished product if we don't invest in it in the beginning. Organisations like ISM are always lobbying to try and make the provision in music schools more concrete and available and not seen as a luxury item but as something which benefits all. I wish the politics of our time were less congested because it’s important to acknowledge that music is really important.

What are your hopes for the future of classical performance?

I would just love to see it in much more mainstream and become part of our everyday diet. I've done a few TV programmes about making the arts more accessible and most people are really open-minded about it. It's just the message that this country sends out that “this is elite, this is not for you, you are not welcome here.” In other countries every cab driver knows what's on at the opera that night, and it’s a very everyday thing. Yes, going to the opera can be a special occasion, but actually the music and the themes are everyday and it’s for everybody. I think we have to keep that message bright, glittering for everybody to see.

I'd love there just to be complete access for everybody to music that is of top quality. Often there is a huge subsidy involved, these things are expensive, but things like premier football are also expensive. I'm not saying that there isn't a place for another tier of music. I love the fact that opera happens in pubs and car parks and all the rest of it, but it is not the same thing as the visceral experience of being in an acoustically made venue, where you can hear 80 instruments all at once and somebody using their voice to make these incredible sounds. There's nothing like it. It should be available to all.

Handel’s Messiah: The Live Experience will take place on 6 December at Theatre Royal, Dury Lane. More information, including tickets, can be found here.