Love, loss and laughter … OPERA NORTH returns to Theatre Royal Nottingham 14-18 March

LOVE, LOSS AND LAUGHTER: OPERA NORTH RETURNS TO THEATRE ROYAL NOTTINGHAM

Tue 14 March             Janáček           The Cunning Little Vixen        7.00pm            REVIVAL

Thu 16 & Sat 18 Mar   Puccini            Tosca                                       7.00pm            REVIVAL

Fri 17 March                Strauss            Ariadne auf Naxos                 7.00pm            NEW

With Puccini’s devastating take on passion and power, Janáček’s bittersweet exploration of the cycle of life, and Strauss’ playful collision of tragedy and comedy on and off stage, Opera North’s new season brings memorable characters, compelling drama and incredible music to the Theatre Royal Nottingham.

The season opens on Tuesday 14 March with Sir David Pountney’s classic version of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, performed by Opera North for the first time. Inspired by a comic strip in his local paper, Janáček brought his unique vision to this captivating tale of mischievous young Vixen Sharp-Ears who is captured by a Forester to become the family pet, but eventually manages to escape back into the wild to find love and a family of her own. By turns funny and profound, the opera features a host of colourful characters including hens, a dragonfly and a badger, and a playful score brimming with folk-infused melodies.

Oliver Rundell conducts a cast of Opera North favourites including Elin Pritchard (Nedda, Pagliacci, 2017) as Vixen Sharp-Ears, Heather Lowe (Cherubino, The Marriage of Figaro, 2020) as Fox, Callum Thorpe (Sparafucile, Rigoletto, 2022) as the Poacher and Paul Nilon (Yannakos, The Greek Passion, 2019) as the Schoolmaster. Richard Burkhard, last seen at the Theatre Royal in the title role ofGianni Schicchi, sings the Forester.

Edward Dick’s thrilling production of Puccini’s Tosca, one of the world’s most enduringly popular operas, returns on Thursday 16 and Saturday 18 March. The singer Tosca is the lover of Cavaradossi, an artist, but has also attracted the attention of Scarpia, the corrupt Chief of Police, who wants her for himself. The opportunity presents itself when Cavaradossi is arrested and tortured for helping an escaped political prisoner. Scarpia offers Tosca an impossible bargain: give herself to him, and he will let Cavaradossi go free.

Robert Hayward offers a masterclass in malevolence as Scarpia, opposite Polish soprano Magdalena Molendowska (Katerina, The Greek Passion) in the title role. There are Opera North debuts for Uruguayan tenor Andrés Presno as Cavaradossi, and Adam Hickox, who conducts Puccini’s mesmerising score including Tosca’s moving paean to art ‘Vissi d’arte’, Cavaradossi’s heart-wrenching farewell ‘E lucevan le stelle’, and the powerful hymn ‘Te deum’.

Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, a first for Opera North, completes the season in a co-production with Gothenburg Opera, where it premiered to critical acclaim in 2018. London-based Greek director Rodula Gaitanou and designer George Souglides have set the action in a bustling 1950s Fellini-esque Italian film studio. Much to everyone’s dismay, two different shows – a light musical comedy and a serious mythological opera – have been asked to merge at the last minute to cut costs. The worlds collide to hilarious effect when the commedia dell’arte’s fickle Zerbinetta tries to cheer up Ariadne/ Prima Donna, who longs only for death having been jilted by Theseus.

Underpinned by a score which is at once heroic and romantic, the ensuing drama both on and off stage offers a meditation on differing attitudes to life and love and casts a quizzical eye over the concepts of ‘high’ and ‘low’ art. Opera North’s Principal Guest Conductor,Antony Hermus, returns to conduct a cast including, in their Company debuts, English soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn as Ariadne/ Prima Donna and Polish mezzo soprano Hanna Hipp as the Composer. They are joined by Jennifer France as Zerbinetta and David Butt Philip as Bacchus/ Tenor. Designed for audience members with visual impairments, a pre-show touch tour of the set and audio description via a headset are available for the performance, on Friday 17 March.

The Cunning Little Vixen will be performed as a schools’ matinee on Wednesday 15 March, giving upper KS2 and KS3 pupils the chance to experience a live orchestra and opera in the theatre, many for the first time. A learning pack linked to various subjects in the curriculum provides information and resources for teachers to use in the classroom before their visit, and schools have the option to attend an online interactive music and drama workshop to explore the score, plot and characters with a vocal animateur and drama practitioner from Opera North’s Education team. 

Taking Janáček’s opera as its inspiration, a family-friendly show Little Listeners: Mini Vixen has also been created to give all ages a chance to experience live music and storytelling in a relaxed and welcoming setting. In the Djanogly Theatre at Lakeside Arts on Sunday 26 March, a cast of professional opera singers and musicians will take the audience on a fun-filled adventure in the forest as a vixen and fox discover that working together achieves far more than going it alone. There are two chances to see the show, at 1.00pm and 3.30pm.

At all three productions at the Theatre Royal, full-time students and anyone aged 16-29 years old can take advantage of Opera North’sUnder 30s scheme to watch a performance for just £10. Through the Try it ON scheme, newcomers to opera can also enjoy some of the best seats in the house with two tickets for just £20 each.

For more information and to book, visit trch.co.uk or contact the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0115 989 5555.

LISTINGS

Tuesday 14 March, 7pm

The Cunning Little Vixen

Be transported to the forest and follow the enchanting tale of Vixen Sharp-Ears. Captured by a Forester as a young cub, Sharp Ears dreams of freedom and escapes to take on the world. As her mischief unfolds, all the creatures of the forest come to life and rebellious hens, delicate dragonflies and playful squirrels help her on her journey. This bittersweet fairy tale is an emotional journey reflecting on the nature of life, the cycle of birth and death and the connection between the human and animal worlds. Janáček’s playful folk-infused melodies burst with energy, as Director Sir David Pountney returns to charm audiences with this celebrated classic.

Theatre Royal Nottingham, Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND
Tickets £22.00 to £69.50 + concessions | Under 30s and full-time students £10

Box Office 0115 989 5555
trch.co.uk

Thursday 16 & Saturday 18 March, 7pm
Tosca

Secrets. Lies. A lethal ultimatum. The heroine is a renowned prima donna, her hero a charismatic artist, and the villain the corrupt head of the secret police. From love to blackmail, and revenge to murder… Tosca will leave you questioning just how far you would go to save the ones you love. Sublime one moment and gut-wrenching the next, Puccini‘s music overflows with emotion and iconic tunes including: ‘Vissi d’arte’ and the powerful ‘Te deum’. Written over 120 years ago, Tosca still thrills with the perfect pulse of a taut crime drama, portraying humanity at its best and very worst. Edward Dick returns to direct this five-star production.
Theatre Royal Nottingham, Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND
Tickets £25.00 to £57.00 + concessions | Under 30s and full-time students £10

Box Office 0115 989 5555
trch.co.uk

Friday 17 March, 7pm
Ariadne auf Naxos

A fight for the limelight: In a bustling 1950s Italian studio two films are set to be made, one a heartbreaking myth, the other a light musical comedy. Disaster strikes and the two suddenly become one. Entertainment and drama  are in no short supply. Comic, heroic and romantic, Ariadne auf Naxos contains some of Strauss’ greatest music, filled with soaring melodies and unforgettable moments. The multi-award nominated Rodula Gaitanou directs this new production, exploring the competition between high and low art, and bringing the audience in on its humorous mischief.

Tickets £22.00 to £69.50 + concessions | Under 30s and full-time students £10

Box Office 0115 989 5555
trch.co.uk

Sunday 26 March, 1pm & 3.30pm

Little Listeners: Mini Vixen
Experience the magic of opera, storytelling and music, whatever your age with this fun, family-friendly adventure. In a mystical woodland, a Vixen meets a Fox, and as their friendship grows, they discover how working together is vital to protect their home and the habitat around them. Based on the music and story of Janáček’s opera The Cunning Little Vixen and led by a cast of professional opera singers and musicians, expect an interactive and relaxed concert where singing and moving around is encouraged. Before the show, try making your own fox that you can use to move along to the music with.

35 minutes, no interval. For children aged 4 – 12 years old.
Djanogly Theatre at Lakeside Arts, University Blvd, Nottingham NG7 2JN
Tickets: £8.00

tickets.lakesidearts.org.uk