COLTON SLAYS A DRAGON!

COLTON COLLABS WITH THE KBC FOR DRAGON OF WANTLEY

Colton Fox is proud to have collaborated with the Kingston Baroque Consort for a production of The Dragon of Wantley held at the Isabel Bader Centre for the performing arts. Colton created a series of illustrations which were projected above a live orchestra as performer Matthew Davis narrated the accompanying passages.

The Dragon of Wantley is a legend recounted in 1685 about a dragon that was slain by a knight, though its origins date back even further. It was later included in Thomas Percy's 1767 Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, enjoying widespread popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1737, the ballad was adapted in English into a successful London opera. The opera, written by Henry Carey, was a satirical and comedic take on taxation policies that Colton isn’t going to pretend that he understands anything about, beyond that story is about a drunken knight named Moore who kicks a dragon in the booty.

Colton Fox felt both excited and daunted by the task of drawing detailed pieces that would be projected in a large scale above a stage for an audience, and worked hard to make sure his artwork was worth accompanying the fantastic performances by the Kingston Baroque Consort. He calmed his nerves before the show by hosting a free, well attended workshop that taught guests how to make their own zine, which he encouraged to fill with dragons. Some of the children in attendance ended up filling their zine with drawings of Goku, which is a character from Dragon Ball Z, so Colton said that was close enough.