Opera North’s first ever staging of Handel’s opera Alcina opened on Saturday 5 February to great acclaim. Directed by Tim Albery the production moves beyond the conventions of women playing male roles in early opera to a deeper exploration of gender fluidity and identity. Alcina is a tale of deception, seduction, love and loss.
On an island paradise, a young man, Ruggiero, has fallen under the spell of a woman, Alcina, who is experiencing real love for the very first time. But on Alcina’s island nothing is as it seems, for she is an enchantress who transforms her discarded lovers into non-human form, and her island is a barren wasteland whose apparent beauty is maintained only by her powers of illusion. When Bradamante, Ruggiero’s fiancée, arrives on the island in disguise, intent on reclaiming her lost love, Alcina’s magic is tested to breaking point.
Baroque specialist Laurence Cummings returns to conduct a cast which includes Irish soprano Máire Flavin (Hanna Glawari, The Merry Widow) in the role of Alcina. Ruggiero is sung by American countertenor Patrick Terry, who will be making his Opera North debut alongside Norwegian mezzo-soprano Mari Askvik as Bradamante and British soprano Fflur Wyn as Morgana. One performance of Alcina will also be livestreamed on the OperaVision platform at operavision.eu on 17 February 2022.
Alcina is notable for being Opera North’s first sustainable mainstage production, following successful trials in utilising reused and recycled sets. Designer Hannah Clark has created the set and costumes using elements from previous productions, as well as sourcing vintage or second-hand costumes and props. Nothing that appears on stage will be newly purchased, and the environmental impact of making and transporting the scenic elements and the wider impacts of the supply chain have all been considered.
Richard Mantle, General Director, Opera North comments:
“Our first mainstage sustainable production, Alcina, is an important milestone for Opera North’s sustainability journey, as part of our ongoing commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and to be a leader for the wider industry in this area. We are extremely proud to be the first opera company in the UK to have rolled out Carbon Literacy Training to our full workforce, and we are committed to putting environmental thought and action at the heart of what we do. Moving forwards, we have pledged to become Carbon Neutral by 2030 and we urge our peers and colleagues across the arts industries and beyond to join us in this commitment.”
Alcina is at Leeds Grand Theatre on: – 8th, 15th, 17th February
Main Picture: James Glossop
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