WORLD class opera will come to the heart of Dorset next month.
The Dorset Opera Festival will be held at Bryanston school near Blandford Forum between July 25 and 29.
This year’s event will feature two operas; Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Le roi de Lahore (The King of Lahore) by Jules Massenet.
It will be the first time Le roi de Lahore has been staged in the UK since 1879.
Performances will be held in the Coade Hall with with ticket priced from £30 to £110.
Several internationally acclaimed people originally from Dorset are participating.
They include internationally acclaimed stage director, Ella Marchment.
Ella had her first taste of opera while taking part in the Dorset Opera production of The Pearl Fishers back in 2008 which she says was the catalyst that defined her career path.
She is now responsible for directing the annual International Opera Awards and is head of opera at Shenandoah University in Virginia USA.
Acclaimed sculptor and designer Rufus Martin who, like Ella, is an alumnus of Bryanston school, will also appear.
Rufus has been in involved in a multitude of set-design team projects, including an Emmy-nomination and BAFTA-win, and has worked as assistant to the great scenographer, Gary McCann.
Opera Festival’s artistic director Roderick Kennedy said: “We are lucky that Rufus had the time available to develop some exquisite designs for both our productions this year.
“His CAD models are simply stunning, and we can’t wait to see them in place and fully lit on the Coade Theatre stage.”
Bass-baritone Thomas Humphreys who hails from west Dorset will also feature.
He has sung the title role in Don Giovanni for Opera Holland Park and made his Glyndebourne Touring Opera debut in La Traviata.
With the Dorset Opera Festival this year he sings the role of Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro.
This year’s event will see a new partnership with the Arts University Bournemouth.
The AUB MA historical costume course will be involved in all aspects of costume-making, fitting and alteration and have first-hand experience of running a production wardrobe.
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