Sir Thomas Allen’s riotous manufacturing of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, designed by Simon Higlett, opens on 17 October at Theatre Royal Glasgow. First seen in 2007, this pleasant comedy excursions to Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen.
Scottish Opera Music Director, Stuart Stratford, conducts Samuel Dale Johnson (Eugene Onegin and Pagliacci 2018) because the titular barber, with Anthony Gregory (Anthropocene 2019) and Simone McIntosh (making her Company debut) because the lovelorn Count Almaviva and Rosina. Also becoming a member of the forged are David Stout (Nixon in China 2020) as Doctor Bartolo, John Molloy (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2022) as Don Basilio and two of Scottish Opera’s present Emerging Artists, Inna Husieva and Ross Cumming, as Berta and Fiorello.
This revival, with a translation by Amanda Holden (Falstaff 2021), tells the story of barber and fixer, Figaro, who’s enlisted by Count Almaviva to woo the attractive Rosina. However, he first has to take care of Rosina’s guardian Doctor Bartolo who retains her beneath lock and key with the intent of marrying her himself.
Director Sir Thomas Allen, who final labored with the Company on Don Giovanni in 2022, and The Magic Flute in 2019 stated: ‘We perform this revival of Rossini’s nice masterpiece, The Barber of Seville, within the English language reasonably than Italian. The comedy is sensible, in fact, and the plan is that we get as a lot from it as we will. Originally an incredible play by Beaumarchais, singing it in English permits the forged to relish the good enjoyable of the piece. As with all revivals, we will see what we took as our scheme from the start, however a very new forged brings a brand new dimension, a brand new chemistry to the event and I’m wanting ahead to seeing it extra recent than ever.’
Scottish Opera General Director, Alex Reedijk stated: ‘As we head into autumn, it’s a pleasure to welcome again Sir Thomas Allen, one of many greats of the world opera stage and certainly, our President, to revive this eloquent and superbly noticed manufacturing of The Barber of Seville. Rossini’s grasp comedy has been warmly loved by our audiences over time. It’s a type of operas, the place even if you happen to haven’t seen it earlier than, the character of Figaro looks like an incredible buddy whose firm you like, so we’re delighted to kick off our 2023/24 Season with this manufacturing, with all its musical prowess and theatrical allure.’
The manufacturing, supported by The Scottish Opera Syndicate, is a conventional, truthful piece of storytelling moulded by the masterly palms of famend baritone Sir Thomas Allen, who brings a wealth of expertise performing the opera to his position as director. Set amongst the brilliant colors of southern Spain with an 18-strong male refrain, interval styling, a witty libretto and Rossini’s usually wonderful music, The Barber of Seville is a cheerful, fast-paced manufacturing that’s positive to allure Scottish audiences.
This Season, Scottish Opera can be providing Access Performances of The Barber of Seville in Glasgow and Edinburgh. With Dementia Friendly values at their core, these shortened performances are open to all. Performed by a full forged and orchestra, additionally they function a narrator to take you thru the story and introduce the music from the opera. There are wheelchair areas and further employees available to assist. There can be a smaller capability to permit everybody house, and brighter lighting ranges within the auditorium, giving audiences the flexibleness and freedom to maneuver about as required.
Those who want to uncover extra about how the manufacturing was created can attend The Barber of Seville Pre-show Talks, which delve into the element of the opera. Tickets are free however ought to be booked prematurely. Audience members with a visible impairment can benefit from the full opera expertise at Audio-described performances, which have a stay commentary describing the motion on stage with out compromising the music. There are additionally free Touch Tours of the set, and a stay audio introduction earlier than the beginning of the efficiency.
Creative workforce
Conductor
Assistant Conductor Susannah Wapshott
Director
Assistant Director Mark Burns
Designer
Lighting Designer
Assistant Lighting Designer Callum Macdonald
Cast
Figaro
Rosina
Count Almaviva
Doctor Bartolo
Don Basilio
Berta
Fiorello
*Scottish Opera Emerging Artists 2023/24
Performance diary
Theatre Royal Glasgow
17, 20, 25 & 28 October 2023, 7.15pm
22 October, 3pm
Access The Barber of Seville 27 October, 3pm (Audio-described)
Pre-show speak 25 October, 6pm
Audio-described efficiency 28 October, 7.15pm with Touch Tour from 6pm – 6.30pm
Festival Theatre Edinburgh
3, 8 & 11 November 2023, 7.15pm
5 November, 3pm
Access The Barber of Seville 9 November, 3pm (Audio-described)
Pre-show speak 8 November, 6pm
Audio-described efficiency 11 November, 7.15pm with Touch Tour from 6pm – 6.30pm
Eden Court Inverness
16 & 18 November 2023, 7.15pm
Pre-show speak 18 November, 6pm
Audio-described efficiency 18 November, 7.15pm with Touch Tour from 6pm – 6.30pm
His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
23 & 25 November 2023, 7.15pm
Pre-show speak 25 November, 6pm
Audio-described efficiency 25 November, 7.15pm with Touch Tour from 6pm – 6.30pm
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