Opera North rewrites the rules with singers on stilts, a magic mirror & a dog with a blog!
Expect the unexpected with Opera North’s visit to The Lowry next week (Tues 1 – Sat 5 March) when they present their new productions of Carmen and The Portrait.
Dog fighting replaces the traditional bull fighting in Carmen with a real dog on stage, Molly, who has also performed on television and has her own blog. http://operanorth.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/all-in-a-days-work-for-a-performing-travelling-white-van-dog/. The dog fight is cleverly portrayed through sound, music, cheers and lighting. Bizet’s masterpiece of Carmen has not been seen by Opera North audiences for over ten years and is a hot ticket not to be missed.
Opera North’s strong spirit of adventure clearly manifests itself in the first British staging of Polish composer, Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s little known opera, The Portrait. Director David Pountney brings the satirical nature of the production to life through the use of foolish colourful costumes, overgrown policemen, manic waiters and singers appearing on stage in two foot stilts, all of which ridicule the central character, the artist Chartkov, and the vanity of the St. Petersburg establishment.
Mark Le Brocq, Turk in The Portrait explains the challenges of learning to walk on stilts: “For a boy who couldn’t pogo when he was younger, I was more than a little apprehensive about walking, yet along singing on stilts. I had visions of stumbling around on stage, or worse falling in to the orchestra pit! But when I saw how the stilts operated, feet fully supported up to the knee, and had a practice go in a workshop session I realised there was no special technique to it. It feels just like walking normally but with an extended two foot limb, and I have a cane as part of my costume for extra support. The stage at each venue has slightly different gradients and angles, so I will have a practice when I get to The Lowry. But with no trips or falls so far I am confident the scene will go smoothly.”
The portrait Chartkov acquires in The Portrait is a mirror, which hangs on his studio wall and gets bigger and bigger as he becomes more self-obsessed and manic. The mirror has a magical quality, like the mirror the witch possesses in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; every time Chartkov looks in to the mirror or dreams of the portrait he sees what he wants to see and what he wants to become, a successful painter making lots of money.
Opera North’s production of The Adventures Of Mr Broucek recently won the MEN Theatre Award 2010 for Best Opera and the Company continues to present new and exciting work, reinforcing its position as a vital arts organisation within the cultural landscape.
Media Enquiries
For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact Michelle Bowey, Head of Media Relations on 0161 876 2037 or email michelle@thelowry.com
Notes to Editors:
A short extract and synopsis of all three productions, together with blogs and videos from cast and production members is available at: www.operanorth.co.uk
Diary of Performances:
The Lowry, Salford Quays
Box Office: 0843 208 6005 or www.thelowry.com
Carmen - Tue 1 March - 7.00 pm
The Merry Widow - Wed 2 March - 7.30 pm
Portrait - Thu 3 March - 7.30 pm
The Merry Widow - Fri 4 March - 7.30pm
Carmen - Sat 5 March - 7.00 pm
BSL interpreted performance by Mary Connell and audio described by Vocaleyes: Fri 4 March.
Posted on Tuesday, 22 February 2011 under News Press Theatre Press