Rare opportunity for Angus opera fans to enjoy top talent

Scottish Opera will take to the stage in Angus this weekend for a spring tour to more remote venues the length and breadth of the country.

Montrose Town Hall will be the first stop on Saturday night for an Opera Highlights tour which will then take in Lerwick, Castle Douglas, Ballachulish, Pitlochry and Rutherglen.

Scottish Opera’s head of Music Derek Clark has curated a varied programme including favourites from Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Mozart’s Così fan tutte and Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers, as well as lesser known gems rarely performed on the Scottish stage.

Opera Highlights, which tells the story of Henrietta and Leon, two stage managers who have to cope with the demands of opera stars Sophia and Petrach every night on tour, also features a new work entitled Wings, created specially for the tour by the body’s emerging artist composer in residence Samuel Bordoli.

The cast includes mezzosoprano Catherine Backhouse, the Robertson Trust Scholarship emerging artist at Scottish Opera; soprano Máire Flavin; baritone Benjamin Lewis and National Opera Studio graduate, tenor William Morgan.

Scottish Opera’s general director, Alex Reedijk, said: “Touring Scotland is at the heart of what we do and Opera Highlights is the perfect show to take to smaller and more remote communities as it truly has something for everyone.

“After a successful 17-date autumn tour from Stornoway to Stranraer, we’re thrilled to take the show on the road again.

“Director Jack Furness’s imaginative approach will bring out the best in this fabulous young cast.”

Scottish Opera perform in Montrose on Saturday.