On November 4, 2021, new opera company Theatre of Sound will launch with a radical retelling of Bela Bartok’s “Bluebeard’s Castle.”

Presented in partnership with Stone Nest in West End, this production will reimagine the work as a love story between a long-married couple coming to terms with living with dementia. Sopranos Susan Bullock and Gweneth Ann Rand will share the role of Judith, with baritone Michael Mayes and bass-baritone Gerald Finley sharing the role of Bluebeard. Stephen Higgins will conduct the London Sinfonietta, playing a new chamber orchestration.

The production also marks the beginning of an extended partnership with Live Music Now and Rare Dementia Support as they create new programming such as the upcoming “Judith’s Castle,” a new work by composer Electra Perivolaris which was made with support from families of those living with dementia. Further events, discussions, and programming from specialists in the field of dementia care will be announced at a later date.

“Bluebeard’s Castle is one of my all-time favorite operas, and I always understood Bluebeard’s music was filled with intense love and devotion,” shares director Daisy Evans. “I want to tell this tale not as a gothic nightmare, but a love story whilst also increasing awareness and understanding around the power of music for people living with dementia.”

Their production will run from November 4 – 14, 2021, with tickets priced at 35 Pounds.