Stage: Opera, Whodunit or Won it
Purcell’s The Fairy Queen and Ravel’s two operas at Glyndebourne Festival
As Glyndebourne Festival reaches the midway point there are still plenty of treats and surprises in store at the iconic opera house nestled in the Sussex Downs. Opening this week is Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, an unusual early opera loosely adapted from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Big-budget Purcell opera productions are rare, this production (originally staged in 2009) marked the 350th anniversary of Purcell’s birth, and was so well received that calls for a revival were heard from audiences from the first night.
The original production in 1692 featured stage effects that nearly bankrupted the theatre; elaborate costumes, swans gliding over lakes, grottoes, woods and 12-foot high fountains. Fairy Queen Director Jonathan Kent; whose production of Sweeney Todd is currently in the West End; presides over a 17th-century cabinet of curiosities which disgorge black-winged creatures of the fairy world. The production has singing, dancing, cross-dressing, a flying horse and is notorious for a warren full of rampant rabbits!
Glyndebourne’s final festival production is a double-bill of Ravel’s only two operas L’heure espagnole and L’enfant et les sortilèges. Reuniting director Laurent Pelly and Kazushi Ono who made their Glyndebourne debuts in 2008 with a candy-coloured version of Engleburt Humperdink’s Hänsel und Gretel.
L’heure espagnole is set in the house of a clock-maker, Torquemada; his wife Concepción devises a complex series of moves and counter-moves to conceal the presence of her various admirers making use of the many grandfather clocks in the house. Inanimate objects come to life after a child throws a temper tantrum in L’enfant et les sortilèges. All of the things that have been damaged by him start to voice their objections: a broken cup and teapot, a shepherd and shepherdess from the wallpaper he ripped, a battered armchair and the princess from torn pages of a story book.
Glyndebourne with its 90 minute interval – perfect for picnics – is well suited to a double-bill. And L’heure espagnole’s vein of smuttiness contrasts wonderfully with poignant story of a boy who realises his actions have consequences.
The Fairy Queen opens Friday 20 July, L’heure espagnole and L’enfant et les sortilèges open Saturday 4 August. For tickets call 01273 815 000 or visit www.glyndebourne.com
STAGE: 10 Minute Plays
The 2012 10-Minute Play competition received in excess of 170 plays from the general public and was judged by a panel of representatives from New Venture Theatre as well as Sussex Playwrights. The result of the judging produced eight directors they thought would be best, and from this the directors were able to choose their preferred play. The productions soon to be on show are said to celebrate new writing, the power and pleasure of theatre and live performance. Seeing as the 8 plays selected are all only 10 minutes long, the concept of shorter sittings may appeal to the public instead of a two hour long production.
In addition, after each performance has taken place the audience will be invited to vote for which every play they feel they enjoyed the most. This opportunity for the audience to become more involved in the production by adding their voice and feedback, could help to encourage the playwright whose work they most enjoyed as well as give the playwrights improvements to consider. The winning play will be announced on Saturday 21 July after the last performance.
Furthermore, the plays that are due to be performed are Bluebottle by John Petherbridge (director-Sarah Garbutt), Change of Plan by Stuart Pursell (director-Alex Epps), Charlie by David Taylor (director-Hannah Liebeskind), In the Bar of the Half Moon by Joel Kaye (director-Kevin Moore), Mick & Pete by Brian Tuley (director-Moog), Nora’s Special Day by Mark Wilson (director-Mike Stubbs), Short Story by Paul Fox (director-Lou Preecy) and Still Waters by Christopher Owen (director-Tamsin Fraser).
14 July-21 July 7.45pm, Sunday matinee 2.30 pm, £9 (£8 Members) Final Fri/Sat (£10/£9) Tues evening all tickets £7, 01273 746118, www.newventure.org.uk/tickets
Words: Emily Usher
STAGE: The Patient
Fans of Agatha Christie will enjoy this one act mystery spectacular that is a classic whodunit case. Mrs Wingfield is in hospital, fully paralysed after a tragic, but mysterious fall from a balcony. All the relatives are gathered at the nursing home on this sad occasion, however what no-one is sure of is whether it was an accident, attempted murder or failed suicide. In order to find out, The Inspector must discover what really did happen. With the help of Dr Ginsberg’s ingenius device, the play follows the Inspector as he unravels the secrets to solve the murder of Mrs Wingfield.
Little Theatre, Brighton, Thursday 26 July-Saturday 28 July, 7.45pm, £5, 01273 777748, www.the-little.co.uk
Words: Rose Bang-Sorense
