Chance to see Bizet gem The Pearl Fishers
Opera fans are in for a treat when a new production rolls into Ayr next week.
Scotland’s professional touring company, Opera Bohemia, will bring their performance of Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers to The Gaiety theatre on Tuesday, July 25.
The group have formed a special relationship with Ayrshire over the years, and will perform the opening night of their twelve venue tour at the Gaiety.
Opera Bohemia was founded by Glasgow conductor Alistair Digges and Fife baritone Douglas Nairne. Now in its eighth year, the company recently celebrated its 100th performance.
And over the last seven years they have provided performance opportunities for more than a hundred young professional singers and musicians.
One of the group’s original goals was to introduce opera to a new audience, as well as providing live performances for opera lovers.
Many of the audiences who have enjoyed the group’s performers have been opera “newbies” who have loved the experience.
And they hope to invite even more people in to try opera with their production of The Pearl Fishers.
The moving tale, set in Ceylon, sees two men’s vow of friendship threatened by their obsession with the same woman, a beautiful preistess, who battles to suppress her feelings of love in order to uphold her sacred oath.
The opera is composed by Georges Bizet, best known for Carmen, one fo the most performed operas in the world.
The work – written when Bizet was only 24 years old – contains a duet for tenor and baritone, which has become one of the most loved duets in the whole operatic repertoire.
The production is directed by former Scottish Opera young artists, and features a star- studded cast led by Scottishs oprano Monica McGhee in the role of Leila.
Welsh tenor Thomas Kinch returns to Opera Bohemia in the role of nadir, with Scotland’s Douglas Nairne and Michael MacKinnon as Zurga and Nourabad completing the cast.
The production also features the company’s first professional chamber chorus and is accompanied in a special arrangement for solo violin and piano. The shows is sung in French with English subtitles.
For tickets visit www. ayrgaiety. co. uk or call 01292 288235.