SCOTTISH OPERA’S OPERA HIGHLIGHTS TOURS THIS AUTUMN TO 17 VENUES

A vibrant new manufacturing of Opera Highlights goes on the street once more this autumn, visiting 17 venues round Scotland.

A troupe of gifted singers carry out on this one-of-a-kind present, created particularly for Scottish Opera every season. Mezzo-soprano Katherine Aitken (The Verdi Collection 2023) and baritone Jerome Knox (The Fiery Angel 2017) return to our phases, whereas soprano Katy Thomson and tenor Innocent Masuku make their Company debuts.

From 21 September, they are going to journey to Giffnock, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Strathmiglo, Newtonmore, Lossiemouth, Ardross, Thurso, Lochinver, Arisaig, Isle of Seil, Tillicoultry, Glasgow, Dumfries, Crawfordjohn, Maybole, and Musselburgh. Accompanying them on piano is Music Director Toby Hession, a former Scottish Opera Emerging Artist. Directed by Laura Attridge (The Miserly Knight and Mavra 2022), designs are by Ana Inés Jabares-Pita.

The playlist, devised by Scottish Opera’s former Head of Music Derek Clark, cleverly combines a wonderful assortment of much-loved classics with a treasure trove of lesser-known items. These embody music from Verdi’s La traviata, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Puccini’s La bohème, Arthur Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, alongside works by Kurt Weill and William Walton. Audiences even have the possibility to listen to Toby Hession taking part in the world premiere of his brief opera, entitled ‘In flagrante’.

Celebrating love and life, this manufacturing of Opera Highlights is about at a marriage, and the present explores the tales that occur within the margins of this sort of event. The characters – 4 company and 4 employees members – will discover their narratives interweaving because the day progresses, with audiences following them by means of a sequence of intimate exchanges through a wealthy programme of operatic gems. The number of musical types span three centuries of historical past, and embody a sequence of arias, duets, trios, and quartets along with a fragile overarching narrative devised by the Company.

Director Laura Attridge stated: ‘I’m so excited to be returning to Scottish Opera to direct the brand new Opera Highlights tour. It’s a programme depicting the intimacies and complexities of human relationships with daring, vibrant brushstrokes, and I can’t wait to carry it to audiences on the street with a staging that makes its tales actually sing.’

Opera Highlights is kindly supported by Friends of Scottish Opera, JTH Charitable Trust and The Scottish Opera Endowment Trust.

Tickets are on sale now at www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/opera-highlights-202324/

Performance diary

Thursday 21 September, Eastwood Park Theatre, Giffnock

Saturday 23 September, The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

Tuesday 26 September, The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen

Thursday 28 September, Strathmiglo Village Hall

Saturday 30 September, Newtonmore Village Hall

Tuesday 3 October, Lossiemouth Town Hall

Thursday 5 October, Ardross Community Hall

Saturday 7 October, Thurso High School

Tuesday 10 October, Lochinver Village Hall