re-imagined version of The Flying Dutchman Opera by Opera Up Close to tour the UK

The Olivier award winning OperaUpClose will tour a new version of Wagner’s classic opera The Flying Dutchman across the UK this summer.

The production - the story of a doomed sea captain condemned to a life on the water - promises to steer away from more traditional opera performances by breaking the fourth wall with the audience and bringing all the performers, instrumentalists and singers together on the stage for a more immersive experience.

The political themes of the displacement of people and island living have been brought to the forefront by poet and novelist Glyn Maxwell and the 8 piece chamber orchestration is by Laura Bowler, who has become synonymous with contemporary and challenging work, particularly via her company Size Zero Opera.

The Flying Dutchman opens at Turner Sims concert hall in Southampton on 28th June and will then tour the UK, stopping at some unconventional venues for opera including the Invisible Wind Factor in Liverpool which often hosts nightclub events and, in keeping with the maritime themes of the show, the Great Eastern Hall of SS Great Britain’s Dockyard in Bristol, home to the SS Great Britain which was once the largest passenger ship in the world. The production will also visit the Pavillion Theatre in Worthing, Grand Junction London and Trinity Market Hull.

Artistic Director of OperaUpClose Flora McIntosh said, “This Dutchman is a meeting of classic material with strong, contemporary voices creating a powerful dialogue between the old and the new. Reconceived as a tale of paranoia, propaganda and people smuggling, performed in places and spaces that connect directly to the material, this production takes a highly theatrical and innovative approach to musical storytelling.”

Full details of the show and tour venues on the website https://www.operaupclose.com/the-flying-dutchman