A treasure trove of opera tunes will take to the stage in Ayr later this month as part of a special 60th anniversary tour.
Scottish Opera’s hugely popular Opera Highlights is coming to Ayr Gaiety on Saturday, March 25.
Marking its 60th Anniversary, Opera Highlights forms part of the Company’s commitment to bring opera to over 60 communities across Scotland this season.
Director Emma Jenkins and designer Janis Hart bring energy and creativity to this year’s original piano-accompanied production.
Opera Highlights combines repertoire favourites with lesser-known pieces, with this season’s production including music from The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro and The Pearl Fishers.
The cast includes Scottish Opera 2022/23 Emerging Artist baritone Colin Murray, alongside mezzo-soprano Annie Reilly, tenor Andrew Henley (Thérèse 2022) and soprano Holly Teague, led from the piano by James Longford.
And in a special treat for opera fans, the production also features the world premiere of a new piece by Scottish Opera 2021/22 Emerging Artist and composer Toby Hession, with libretto by Emma Jenkins.
Entitled ‘Told By An Idiot’, it is a modern and humorous re-working of Macbeth.
Director Emma Jenkins said the production sees a troupe of talented singers embark on a journey of discovery, with love being the main theme throughout.
She said: “Four young singers in search of an identity find themselves, like Alice in Wonderland or the children of Narnia, propelled along an operatic rollercoaster of love and loss, devotion and desire, jealousy and jubilation.
“The overriding theme of the Opera Highlights is love. Our singers put on and take off various roles as if possessed by the force of love in a fast-paced performance that celebrates not only the voice, but also ensemble work and physical theatre.
“All this against the backdrop of Janis Hart’s stunning design which combines a retro 70s feel with an anarchic theatrical space in which one feels that anything could happen!”
Scottish Opera’s Head of Music, Derek Clark said: “The programme is the usual mixture of music from familiar operas and the less well-known, so we are confident that there will be something for everyone to enjoy, whether you are an experienced opera goer, or coming to see us for the first time.”
Opera Highlights is supported by The Friends of Scottish Opera and JTH Charitable Trust.
The production takes to Ayr Gaiety on Saturday, March 25 with a start of 7.30pm.
Tickets available at: https://thegaiety.co.uk/events/scottish-opera-opera-highlights/
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