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Dateline: 1st April, 2007

EIF 2007 Programme Announced

Jonathan Mills has announced his first programme as Director of the Edinburgh International Festival. “Festivals are a gift; a special gift from a city to itself, to its citizens, to its visitors, to its future, to its very soul," he said. "In planning this, my first year’s programme, my inspiration was Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo - not just as a celebration of its 400th anniversary, but as an exploration of its legacy still alive in the work of artists today. I hope audiences will have a fantastic time at the Festival. There is a broad range of artists, styles and work from the deeply serious to the seriously fun which I hope will appeal to everyone. I look forward to welcoming both locals and visitors to Edinburgh in August.”

The 2007 Edinburgh International Festival runs from Friday 10th August to Sunday 2nd September across the city in theatres, concert halls and opera houses attracting audiences from around the world to the city.

The architecture of the Festival remains familiar, with theatre, opera, music and dance in the city’s main venues, but some new strands have been added, as well as an eclectic mix of repertoire. One new strand is the inclusion of the visual arts. In Jardins Publics, three major artists have been commissioned to explore the question of the public garden inspired by figures as diverse as Voltaire, Patrick Geddes and Ian Hamilton Finlay, and sited in three locations across the city.

Dance sees the Festival extending its relationship with Scottish Ballet in a co-commission from American choreographer Stephen Petronio, the Festival debuts of Olivier Award winning Compagnie Montalvo-Hervieu performing On Danse and the Trisha Brown Dance Company with a spread of her works over twenty years including the UK premiere of Canto/Pianto. Another UK premiere is William Forsythe’s hilarious, end of the world spectacular Impressing the Czar performed by the Royal Ballet of Flanders.

Theatre brings The Bacchae from the National Theatre of Scotland in the world premiere of a new version by David Greig, directed by John Tiffany and starring Alan Cumming; Vienna Schauspielhaus’ Poppea directed by Barrie Kosky and The Wooster Group’s La Didone marry music and theatre through the inspiration of early opera; the UK premiere of the acclaimed Mabou Mines DollHouse directed by avant-garde director Lee Breuer; American Repertory Theatre’s modern take on the Orpheus myth in Orpheus X receives its European premiere; and an international collaboration between Theatre Cryptic and Singapore’s T’ang Quartet, engages Scottish based artists with international partners.

Monteverdi’s ground breaking debate on the importance of words versus music serves as one of the inspirations behind this year’s programme and a traditional production of L’Orfeo directed by Gilbert Deflo and conducted by Jordi Savall marks the 400th anniversary of this the first major opera and opens the opera programme. The Festival and Cologne Opera present the world premiere of a new production of Richard Strauss’ Capriccio starring Gabriele Fontana, conducted by Markus Stenz and directed and designed by Christian von Götz and Gabriele Jänicke. Capriccio opens in Edinburgh before transferring to Cologne. Three evenings of opera in concert: Orlando furioso, Oedipus Rex, Dido and Aeneas and Prima la musica, poi le parole complete the opera programme with international artists including Nicholas McGegan, Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Jennifer Larmore, Philippe Jaroussky, Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts, Natascha Petrinksy, and Jane Irwin.

Alan Cumming

The Details (Theatre)

  • POPPEA
    UK Premiere - Vienna Schauspielhaus
    Saturday 11 - Monday 13 August 7.30pm Royal Lyceum Theatre
  • THE BACCHAE
    A new version by David Greig, from a literal translation by Ian Ruffell
    National Theatre of Scotland
    Saturday 11 - Saturday 18 August 8.00pm (except Sunday 12 August) Wednesday 15 and Saturday 18 August 2.30pm King’s Theatre
  • LA DIDONE
    After Francesco Cavalli and Gian Francesco Busenello. Performed in English and Italian. UK Premiere
    The Wooster Group
    Saturday 18 - Wednesday 22 August 8.00pm (except Monday 20 August) Royal Lyceum Theatre
  • BEOWULF
    Performed in Old English with English supertitles by Benjamin Bagby
    Saturday 18 - Wednesday 22 August 8.00pm (except Monday 20 August) The Hub
  • MABOU MINES DOLLHOUSE
    Adapted from Ibsen by Lee Breuer and Maude Mitchell. Performed in English. UK Premiere
    Friday 24 August - Tuesday 28 August 7.30pm King’s Theatre
  • ORPHEUS X
    American Repertory Theatre. European Premiere
    Saturday 25 August - Wednesday 29 August 8.00pm Royal Lyceum Theatre
  • OPTICAL IDENTITY
    Theatre Cryptic and T’ang Quartet
    European Premiere
    Friday 31 August and Saturday 1 September 8.00pm Royal Lyceum Theatre
Scottish Ballet

The Details (Dance)

  • ON DANSE
    Compagnie Montalvo-Hervieu. UK Premiere
    Saturday 11 - Monday 13 August 8.00pm The Edinburgh Playhouse
  • IMPRESSING THE CZAR
    Royal Ballet of Flanders. UK Premiere
    Saturday 18 - Monday 20 August 7.30pm Edinburgh Festival Theatre
  • SCOTTISH BALLET
    • Ride the Beast
      World premiere
      Stephen Petronio Choreography
    • For MG: the Movie
      Trisha Brown Choreography
      Alvin Curran Music
    • Fearful Symmetries
      Ashley Page Choreography
      John Adams Music
      Antony McDonald Scenic Design

    Saturday 18 and Monday 20 August 7.30pm Sunday 19 August 4.00pm The Edinburgh Playhouse

  • TRISHA BROWN DANCE COMPANY
    Friday 24 - Sunday 26 August 7.30pm The Edinburgh Playhouse
L'Orfeo

The Details (Opera)

  • CANDIDE
    Friday 10 August 8.00pm Usher Hall
  • ORLANDO FURIOSO
    Sunday 12 August 7.00pm Usher Hall
  • L'ORFEO
    Saturday 11, Monday 13 & Tuesday 14 August 7.15pm Edinburgh Festival Theatre
  • ORPHEUS & OEDIPUS REX
    Thursday 23 August 8.00pm Usher Hall
  • DIDO AND AENEAS and PRIMA LA MUSICA, POI LE PAROLE
    Sunday 26 August 8.00pm Usher Hall
  • CAPRICCIO
    Tuesday 28, Thursday 30 August & Saturday 1 September 7.15pm Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Sponsors

The List sponsors La Didone
Lloyds TSB Scotland sponsors L’Orfeo, the Trisha Brown Dance Company and Orpheus X
First ScotRail sponsors Scottish Ballet
Scottish & Newcastle plc sponsprs Candide
Standard Life sponsors On Danse

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©Peter Lathan 2007