Surrey Opera brings its exciting World Premiere production of The Life to Come to the Roedean School Theatre, Brighton on Sunday, October 29.
With music by talented young composer Louis Mander and libretto by renowned actor, presenter and writer Stephen Fry, this new opera is based on the E.M. Forster story of the same name.
Mander’s tuneful and romantic music brings to life Fry’s adaptation of this powerful and tragic story of forbidden love between an Edwardian Christian Missionary and the African Tribal Chief he came to convert.
The Life To Come is one of E. M. Forster’s most beguiling and brilliant short stories. It is simultaneously romantic, satirical, passionate, comic, tragic and mysterious. It speaks of colonialism, sexuality, love and religion in unique ways.
Stephen Fry, said: “The dramatic structure struck me as ideal for an opera and when the outrageously talented young Louis Mander and I talked about collaborating and he evinced a similar enthusiasm, it all just fell into place.”
Louis Mander, added: “When Stephen and I first set about collaborating on the creative process of the opera I was fired up with passionate musical ideas; arching melodies, rich harmonies and orchestral colours which arose from the highly exotic and erotic subject matter of the immaculately beautiful love story between an African Prince and a British missionary.
Themes of religiosity, heart-splitting homosexual passion and sweltering North African exoticism exploded in my imagination all at once. It was an absolute dream working alongside Stephen Fry, who has written a powerfully emotive libretto which drives the plot of the story with real mastery.”
The production is directed and conducted by Surrey Opera’s Artistic Director Jonathan Butcher and designed by Jill Wilson, with full orchestra, a cast of established and emerging professional singers and the Surrey Opera Chorus.
For more information about Surrey Opera, click here:
Event: The Life to Come – An opera with music by Louis Mander and libretto by Stephen Fry
Where: Roedean School Theatre, Roedean School, Roedean Way, Brighton BN2 5RQ
When: Sunday, October 29
Time: 3pm and 7.45pm
Cost: £25/£22
To book tickets online, click here:
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