The Royal Opera House ends its debut run of new work Anna Nicole tonight but its little sister downstairs picks up the contemporary opera baton in April with two new OperaShots commissions.
Stewart Copeland, best known as the drummer in The Police but also an established composer of soundtracks, ballet and opera, has written the score and libretto for a new production of Edgar Allen Poe's gothic tale, The Tell Tale Heart.
If we say that the second piece, The Doctor's Tale is about a much loved GP who gets struck off by the GMC for being a dog, you probably won't be surprised to hear it comes from the brain of Monty Python's Terry Jones. He's complemented by another Monty connection with an original score by the composer behind the Full Monty soundtrack and founder member of the Art of Noise, Anne Dudley. Jones also directs the show.
This pair of dark tales created by musicians and writers from outside the traditional stable are intended to challenge the genre and see where opera might go in the 21st Century. Will they hit the spot? The OperaShots will be performed in a double bill at the Linbury Studio Theatre, downstairs at the Royal Opera House, from 8-16 April at 7.45pm. Tickets are £9.70-£20.40 i.e. really good value!
