OperaUpClose & Manchester Camerata Present New Version of ‘The Flying Dutchman’ on Tour
By Afton WootenOperaUpClose and Manchester Camerata will present a new production of Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” on a UK tour this summer.
English novelist and poet Glyn Maxwell reworked the libretto for Laura Bowler and Robin Wallington’s 8-piece chamber orchestration of Wagner’s classic. Under the stage direction of Lucy Bradley performers, instrumentalists, and singers will all reside on the stage, breaking the fourth wall with the audience to create a more immersive experience. Soprano Philippa Boyle takes on the role of Starlight with bass Timothy Dawkins as Captain Dee, mezzo-soprano Carolyn Holt as Helm/Mari, and bass-baritone Pauls Putnins singing the role of Mariner. They are joined by players and chorus from Manchester Camerata. Timothy Burke conducts.
Artistic Director of OperaUpClose Flora McIntosh said in a press release, “this Dutchman is a meeting of classic material with strong, contemporary voices creating a powerful dialogue between the old and the new. Reconceived as a tale of paranoia, propaganda and people smuggling, performed in places and spaces that connect directly to the material, this production takes a highly theatrical and innovative approach to musical storytelling.”
“We two were lovers – The Sea and I” will run alongside “The Flying Dutchman.” Curated by McIntosh, who will also conduct, is a psychological drama centered around Toria Banks’s new adaptation of Haydn’s “Arianna a Naxos.” Soprano Catherine Hooper will provide vocals for the main character ‘woman’ with Nicolette Chin on the harp portraying ‘girl.’ “We two were lovers” runs June 14, 16, and 18, and on July 14.
Starting in June, the creative team will visit venues including a warehouse often used for nightclub events in Liverpool and waterside locations including the Great Eastern Hall of SS Great Britain’s Dockyard in Bristol. The tour runs through July 23.
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