What To Expect From Opera North's Return to Newcastle Theatre Royal
Immerse yourself in the action on stage, be captivated by the plot and have an unforgettable encounter with the arts when Opera North visit Newcastle Theatre Royal (Thursday 6th-Saturday 8th March 2025)
An unforgettable journey awaits audiences in Newcastle as a bold reimagining of Wagner’s classic opera The Flying Dutchman comes to the Theatre Royal stage this March. James Brining’s popular production of The Magic Flute also returns after its hugely successful autumn tour, while The Magic Flute Lite offers a shorter daytime option for schools, families and anyone looking for all the magic, enchantment and drama of Mozart’s much-loved opera in a more condensed version.
From the critically-acclaimed director/designer team Annabel Arden and Joanna Parker comes a vital new reinterpretation of Wagner's radical early masterpiece, The Flying Dutchman. Displaced and dispossessed, the Dutchman's crew are condemned to wander the seas for eternity. Every seven years, fate offers them the chance to end this cycle of purgatory but, in a world where money, power and bureaucracy hold sway, it remains to be seen whether they will ever find shelter and sanctuary on land.
The Flying Dutchman will be sung in its original language, German, but English surtitles displayed above the stage ensure you can follow along easily. As reading is much faster than singing, you’ll have no trouble switching between the stage and the surtitles without missing a moment of the action.
Theatre-goers will get another chance to see James Brining’s magical production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute which played to packed houses during the autumn season. Patrick Lange and Emilia Hoving take up the baton to conduct a new cast, which includes Soraya Mafi as Pamina, Trystan Llŷr Griffiths as Tamino, Anna Dennis as the Queen of the Night and Justin Hopkins as Sarastro. They will be joined by Emyr Wyn Jones and Pasquale Orchard who reprise the roles of Papageno and Papagena. In a first for a major UK opera company, the Thursday performance will feature fully-integrated BSL signing.
Anyone looking for a shorter opera can enjoy The Magic Flute Lite. Offering the same enchanted world and beautiful music as the full-length production, this special daytime performance lasts under two hours and has been created especially for families, schoolchildren and audience members who would prefer a more bitesize operatic experience.
Opera is as visually stunning as it is musically impressive. The talented costume team at Opera North designs and creates each piece in-house, often repurposing costumes from previous productions in an effort to be more sustainable. If you watch closely, you might even recognise a costume from a past performance!
An extraordinary blend of storytelling, music, and emotion with breathtaking vocals, dramatic scenes, and powerful orchestral scores, opera is an experience for all the senses.
Under 30s and students can experience the passion and drama of live performance for just £10, while newcomers to opera can enjoy some of the best seats in the house with two tickets for £20 each through the ‘Try it ON’ scheme.
