Dido & Aeneas - A short opera by Henry Purcell

About

Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” is one of the most beloved operas in the repertory. Divas flock to the title role; Dido’s final “Lament” is a showstopper. Schools and colleges worldwide perform it; early-music groups have made it a mainstay; Mark Morris’s choreographed version of it became one of his most acclaimed dances.
And yet what do we really know about this opera? How was Purcell able to turn his little opera composed for a girls’ boarding school into the greatest English opera and, undeniably, the most popular one today?
The tragic love story of Dido and Aeneas offers a full range of dramatically intense feelings. The conflict between duty and passion is resolved painfully by the separation of the two lovers whose fates are forever intertwined. The Queen of Carthage, abandoned by Aeneas, transcends her suffering by the beauty of her singing, before greeting the death she cannot escape after the hero leaves.
The tragic story flowing through centuries, is still touching our souls, and it is still modern. In our performance we are going to investigate the emotions and feelings arising when performing this opera masterpiece, through colours, however inevitably referring the actions to the 21st century important events.

Cast

IRYNA ILNYTSKA – Dido
LEE ANDREAE - Aeneas
JANE ANDERSON-BROWN - Sorceress
KARA MALTON - Belinda
EMILY GROSSMAN - 1st Witch/Spirit
SUSAN GUNN-JOHNSON - 2nd Witch
MELANIE MEHTA - 2nd Woman
CRESSIDA WHITTON - Sailor
JOHN DRAISEY - Piano

Doors open at 6:30pm