MYTH, MAGIC AND A SHORTER OPERA: OPERA NORTH BRINGS ITS LATEST PRODUCTIONS TO LOWRY
An unforgettable journey awaits audiences in the North West as a bold reimagining of Wagner’s classic opera The Flying Dutchman comes to the Lowry stage this March. James Brining’s popular production of The Magic Flute also returns after its hugely successful autumn tour, while The Magic Flute Lite offers a shorter daytime option for schools, families and anyone looking for all the magic, enchantment and drama of Mozart’s much-loved opera in a more condensed version.
From the critically-acclaimed director/designer team Annabel Arden and Joanna Parker comes a vital new reinterpretation of Wagner's radical early masterpiece, The Flying Dutchman. Displaced and dispossessed, the Dutchman's crew are condemned to wander the seas for eternity. Every seven years, fate offers them the chance to end this cycle of purgatory but, in a world where money, power and bureaucracy hold sway, it remains to be seen whether they will ever find shelter and sanctuary on land.
Responding to Opera North’s position as the only opera company in the country to have been awarded Theatre of Sanctuary status, Arden, in collaboration with sound artist Dan Scott, has included the voices of those who, like the Dutchman himself, are without a homeland. Together, the creative team explore the central theme of compassion embodied in the opera’s heroine Senta, a figure who stands apart as the only person who can see beyond the structures of power which dominate her world.
Opera North Music Director Garry Walker conducts Wagner’s thrilling score with a cast including Robert Hayward as the Dutchman, together with Layla Claire and Edgaras Montvidas who make their Opera North debuts as Senta and Erik/ Steersman respectively. Clive Bayley makes a welcome return to the company as Senta’s father Daland, while Molly Barker from the Chorus of Opera North takes on the role of Mary.
On Thursday 13 and Friday 14 March, theatre-goers will get another chance to see James Brining’s magical production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute which played to packed houses last year. Patrick Lange and Emilia Hoving take up the baton to conduct a new cast, which includes Soraya Mafi as Pamina, Trystan Llŷr Griffiths as Tamino, Anna Dennis as the Queen of the Night and Justin Hopkins as Sarastro. They will be joined by Emyr Wyn Jones and Pasquale Orchard who reprise the roles of Papageno and Papagena. In a first for a major UK opera company, the Thursday performance will also feature fully integrated BSL signing.
Younger people and anyone looking for a shorter opera may prefer The Magic Flute Lite at 11am on Thursday 13 March. Offering the same enchanted world and beautiful music as the full-length production, this special daytime performance lasts under two hours and has been created especially for families, schoolchildren at Key Stages 2–4 and audience members who prefer a more bitesize operatic experience. David Cowan conducts a cast including Pasquale Orchard as Pamina, Osian Wyn Bowen as Tamino, Themba Mvula as Papageno, Ellie Neate as Papagena, Miranda Bevin as Queen of the Night and Andri Björn Róbertsson as Sarastro. Both The Magic Flute and The Magic Flute Lite will be sung in English with English subtitles.
Tickets for all three shows are available now. Under 30s can come for £10 and first-timers are able to enjoy the view from some of the best seats in the house for just £20 each. Book at thelowry.com