Playwright Alice Birch and composer Tom Coult’s first opera Violet will première this summer with six performances across the UK.
In a muddied nightdress, in a country kitchen, Violet finally smiles. For years, her tired daily routine has been dictated by the inescapable chime of the Clock Tower, until one night she feels time quicken. Suddenly an hour is lost—every day. As the hours disappear, long-held certainties evaporate and ordered society falls into disarray. With the townspeople in crisis, can Violet finally escape?
Violet was due to be premièred at the cancelled 2020 Aldeburgh Festival and will now open the 2022 Festival with two performances (3 & 5 June). Music Theatre Wales will tour the production to Sherman Theatre in Cardiff (8 June), Theatre Clwyd in Mold (19 June), London—presented by the Royal Opera at Hackney Empire (23 June)—and Buxton Festival (18 July).
Andrew Gourlay conducts the London Sinfonietta and a cast featuring Anna Dennis (Violet), Richard Burkhard (Felix) Frances Gregory (Laura) and Andrew Mackenzie-Wicks (The Clock Keeper). Anna Dennis replaces Elizabeth Atherton who has withdrawn due to personal circumstances. The creative team includes director Jude Christian, designer Rosie Elnile and costume designer Cécile Trémolières.