Opera North is to present three outreach events in Newcastle, all on the same day, Thursday 3 November.
First there will be a free lunchtime concert at 1:10PM in the Lit & Phil on Westgate Road. People are invited to drop-in and enjoy a selection of light classical pieces performed by two young opera singers, Soraya Mafi and Heather Lowe, accompanied by pianist Chris Pulleyn.
Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd provides the inspiration for two interactive Introduction to Billy Budd performances which present the opera’s plot and personalities in a lively and accessible way.
Over the course of an hour, actor Anthony Haddon, accompanied by instrumentalist Sylvia Hallett, will introduce a succession of characters from the opera as they deal with the harsh reality of life on board ship. As the action gathers pace, the audience are invited to question and advise the characters, suggesting what should happen next.
The session ends on a cliff-hanger as Billy hits the ship’s Master-at-Arms, Claggart, after a false accusation of mutiny. To discover the young sailor’s fate, the participants are invited to come and watch Opera North performing the full opera in the Theatre Royal at 7PM that evening. Introduction to Billy Budd will be held at the Theatre Royal at 4PM for schoolchildren and at 5:30PM for adults.
School tickets for Introduction to Billy Budd cost £10 per pupil from [email protected], which includes the 7PM performance at the Theatre Royal that evening. The adult interactive performance is free for those who already have a ticket for the evening performance. Alternatively, workshop tickets are available for £5 from the Theatre Royal web site—this will be reimbursed if the person later buys a ticket for the opera.
Finally at 6PM in The Castle Gate is Billy Budd-inspired Singing Sea Shanties. Having spent the last few weeks perfecting a repertoire of maritime pieces, pupils from English Martyrs’ RC Primary School and St Matthew’s RC Primary School will be taking to the stage with the Ladies from the Chorus of Opera North to entertain family and friends with their newly-acquired skills.
The concert will also be the first public performance by the young singers of Newcastle’s Opera North Children’s Chorus which was launched in the city in September.
Opera North’s performances at the Theatre Royal that week are:
- Wednesday 2 November, Der Rosenkavalier
- Thursday 3 November, Billy Budd
- Friday 4 November, Il tabarro/ Suor Angelica
- Saturday 5 November, Der Rosenkavalier