|
The Burning Question
A Comedy in Song "This marvellous evening's entertainment was ...an absolute delight from start to finish." (Planet Hugill) 15 - 18 February 2023 King's Head Theatre London N1 1QN Wednesday 15 February 9pm Thursday 16 February 9pm Friday 17 February 9pm Saturday 18 February 4pm Saturday 18 February 8pm Tickets £10 - £20 kingsheadtheatre.com 0207 226 8561 
Unable to come? Buy a no-show ticket! |
|
|
|
A female pope? Dead? Holy smoke!The Burning Question is a new, comic opera about the adventures of a female pope who’s recently passed into the afterlife. She was so successful in the job that she’s now required to go and sort out Hell. Attended by a demonic manservant and an angelic maid, she was expecting nothing less than a cosy retirement in paradise, but Someone has other ideas and the elevator going upwards gets stuck. It's a Day of Wrath! What does St Peter, the Caretaker, know? Does he hold the key to the plot? Accompanied by piano duet and a choir of heavenly voices, this is a satire that confronts the ridiculous, the sublime, love, death and comic opera all at the same time. The production is choreographed in the lively style of commedia dell’arte. The music owes much to Italian opera and is performed by a superb cast of young professionals. It delighted audiences when first performed at Tête-à-Tête: The Opera Festival in 2022. |
|
Music: Edward Lambert
Words: Norman Welch & Edward Lambert, with additional material by Ambrose Bierce and the Latin Requiem Mass Original direction & design: Tabitha Benton-Evans Revival director & movement: Jenny Weston Arianna: Louise Fuller (soprano) The Pope: Arlene Belli (mezzo-soprano) Ignacio: Harry Grigg (tenor) San Pietro: Samuel Lom (bass) Piano duet: Elspeth Wilkes, Stephen Westrop Content advisory: satire on death and religion; some mild adult themes. Production photos: Claire Shovelton |
|
|
Arianna - Louise Fuller, graduate of TLCMD & RCM’s International Opera School, is a Samling Artist, an alumnus of the Training Programme in Banff, Canada, British Youth Opera, The London Song Festival & an Alvarez Young Artist for Garsington Opera 2018, 2019 and 2021. She recently made her debut at Wigmore Hall, London.
|
|
The Pope - Arlene Belli is an Italian singer with Middle-Eastern ancestry, graduate of the Conservatorio S. Cecilia in Rome, winner of the first prize in 2018 at the Simone Alaimo Competition and a recipient of the Sybil Tutton Opera Award 2021. Recently Associate Artist at the National Opera Studio in London.
|
|
|
Ignacio - Harry Grigg, from NZ, recently graduated from RCM as a Kiri te Kanawa Scholar. Performed Monostatos at RCM and Amour and Le Grand-Prêtre in Rameau’s Castor et Pollux in Oxford.; winner of the 2021 Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards Competition and a semi finalist in the 2022 Royal Overseas League Competition.
|
|
Pietro - Samuel Lom studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the University of Warwick and Universitat der Humboldt in Berlin. At home in the bass and baritone repertory, Samuel is a keen advocate of new music and appeared in 2 Tête-à-Tête Festival shows in 2019. He is also a librettist and translator.
|
|
|
Director - Tabitha Benton-Evans is a Cornish-Scottish director, writer and performer with an MA in Opera Directing at RWCMD where they directed A Dinner Engagement and wrote and directed a pop-up opera, Interrupted,. Currently assistant director at Welsh National Opera..
|
|
Director - Jenny Weston had a busy career as a dancer before choreographing operas for ENO, Glyndebourne, Opera Holland Park and Divo Opera, among others. Projects abroad include Vienna and Long Beach, California. Contemporary projects include The Passenger and Nixon in China.
|
|
|
Text - Norman Welch, originally from Missouri, has written four operas for Tête-à-Tête: The Opera Festival - All to Play For (2012), Flat Pack (2014), Ebb (2015), and Apollo’s Mission (2019). The Invited was staged at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden and Grimeborn (2015). Also lyrics to several choral works published by OUP.
|
|
Piano - Elspeth Wilkes has performed at ROH, Royal Albert Hall, West End theatres & worked with BBC Wales, Royal Ballet, RSC, Opera Brava, Merry Opera Company, HGO and Opera de Bauge etc. Conducts Thurrock Choral Society, Barnes Choir, Putney Choral Society and a member of the Bridgetower Chamber Ensemble.
|
|
A comic opera - with an Italian hue
On Sunday 1st September 2019, the lift carrying Pope Francis to the Papal balcony got stuck. In the opera, this incident becomes a Dantesque dilemma concerning the destination of the soul: the Pope, now dead, is female. “She’s done some mighty good by cleansing the Church as only a woman could” - and so she’s now destined to carry on the good work in Hell. Ignacio, the demon valet, Hades’ son, is worried how daddy will react to a woman in charge. In any case, the Pope refuses the offer, but this begs the question - why is the lift not taking her skywards? It takes a visit from Pietro to sort things out: it’s revealed that the Pope had a son from an affair with the Goddess of the Underworld... now a lusty young man, Ignacio’s desire for Arianna, the chambermaid, must produce the sparks that will ignite the cleansing fire of Purgatory.
On Sunday 1st September 2019, the lift carrying Pope Francis to the Papal balcony got stuck. In the opera, this incident becomes a Dantesque dilemma concerning the destination of the soul: the Pope, now dead, is female. “She’s done some mighty good by cleansing the Church as only a woman could” - and so she’s now destined to carry on the good work in Hell. Ignacio, the demon valet, Hades’ son, is worried how daddy will react to a woman in charge. In any case, the Pope refuses the offer, but this begs the question - why is the lift not taking her skywards? It takes a visit from Pietro to sort things out: it’s revealed that the Pope had a son from an affair with the Goddess of the Underworld... now a lusty young man, Ignacio’s desire for Arianna, the chambermaid, must produce the sparks that will ignite the cleansing fire of Purgatory.
The Burning Question
"This marvellous evening's entertainment was ...an absolute delight from start to finish." (Planet Hugill) 15 - 18 February 2023 King's Head Theatre London N1 1QN kingsheadtheatre.com 0207 226 8561 |
|
#opera #new writing #contemporary classical
The Burning Question at King's Head Theatre, London N1 1QN
Wednesday 15 February at 21:00
Thursday 16 February at 21:00
Friday 17 February at 21:00
Saturday 18 February at 16:00
Saturday 18 February at 20:00
(runtime 50 minutes)
The Burning Question is a new comic opera about a female Pope who passes into the afterlife. Accompanied by piano duet and a choir of heavenly voices, it is a satire that confronts the ridiculous, the sublime, love, death and Italian opera all at the same time.
A comic opera - with an Italian hue
On Sunday 1st September 2019, the lift carrying Pope Francis to the Papal balcony got stuck. In the opera, this incident becomes a Dantesque dilemma concerning the destination of the soul: “She’s done some mighty good by cleansing the Church as only a woman could” - so she’s now asked to carry on the good work in Hell. Ignacio, the demon valet, is worried how his Boss down under will react to a woman in charge. In any case, the Pope was looking forward to Paradise. It takes a visit from San Pietro the Caretaker to sort things out: it’s revealed that the Pope had a son from an affair with the Goddess of the Underworld... that child is now a lusty young man whose desire for Arianna, the angelic chambermaid, must produce the sparks that will ignite the cleansing fire of Purgatory.
"...felt sumptuously melodic, as well as busily fresh, with strong, intensely written passages building to moments of euphoric surprise." (operissima)
"...approachable, but contemporary musical style..." (Planet Hugill)
"...intriguingly offered elements of bel canto vocal writing to vie with a more ‘modern’ idiom..." (boulezian)
"...a score whose eroticism was often visceral." (The Guardian)
"...became increasingly disturbing, and confirmed Lambert's effective text-setting." (Opera Today)
The King’s Head Theatre was established in 1970. A vibrant and vital part of the UK theatre scene, it is known for its challenging work and support of emerging artists. kingsheadtheatre.com TW: Kingsheadthtr FB & IG: Kingsheadtheatre
The Music Troupe has been flying the flag for new small-scale opera since 2014. musictroupe.co.uk
Contact: Tilly +44 7933 285877 or Norman +44 7583 911862 mail@musictroupe.co.uk TW FB & IG: @musictroupe
The Burning Question at King's Head Theatre, London N1 1QN
Wednesday 15 February at 21:00
Thursday 16 February at 21:00
Friday 17 February at 21:00
Saturday 18 February at 16:00
Saturday 18 February at 20:00
(runtime 50 minutes)
The Burning Question is a new comic opera about a female Pope who passes into the afterlife. Accompanied by piano duet and a choir of heavenly voices, it is a satire that confronts the ridiculous, the sublime, love, death and Italian opera all at the same time.
A comic opera - with an Italian hue
On Sunday 1st September 2019, the lift carrying Pope Francis to the Papal balcony got stuck. In the opera, this incident becomes a Dantesque dilemma concerning the destination of the soul: “She’s done some mighty good by cleansing the Church as only a woman could” - so she’s now asked to carry on the good work in Hell. Ignacio, the demon valet, is worried how his Boss down under will react to a woman in charge. In any case, the Pope was looking forward to Paradise. It takes a visit from San Pietro the Caretaker to sort things out: it’s revealed that the Pope had a son from an affair with the Goddess of the Underworld... that child is now a lusty young man whose desire for Arianna, the angelic chambermaid, must produce the sparks that will ignite the cleansing fire of Purgatory.
- The production stars the rising Italian mezzo, Arlene Belli.
- Directed and choreographed in commedia dell'arte style by Jenny Weston
- Appearances by The Music Troupe have become a regular feature of Tête-à-Tête: The Opera Festival, where The Burning Question delighted audiences last summer.
- "This marvellous evening's entertainment was…an absolute delight from start to finish." (Planet Hugill)
- Previous productions include Apollo's Mission, The Cloak & Dagger Affair, The Art of Venus, The Catfish Conundrum and Six Characters in Search of a Stage
"...felt sumptuously melodic, as well as busily fresh, with strong, intensely written passages building to moments of euphoric surprise." (operissima)
"...approachable, but contemporary musical style..." (Planet Hugill)
"...intriguingly offered elements of bel canto vocal writing to vie with a more ‘modern’ idiom..." (boulezian)
"...a score whose eroticism was often visceral." (The Guardian)
"...became increasingly disturbing, and confirmed Lambert's effective text-setting." (Opera Today)
The King’s Head Theatre was established in 1970. A vibrant and vital part of the UK theatre scene, it is known for its challenging work and support of emerging artists. kingsheadtheatre.com TW: Kingsheadthtr FB & IG: Kingsheadtheatre
The Music Troupe has been flying the flag for new small-scale opera since 2014. musictroupe.co.uk
Contact: Tilly +44 7933 285877 or Norman +44 7583 911862 mail@musictroupe.co.uk TW FB & IG: @musictroupe
