This roustabout opera was written in the composer's mother tongue for an everyday audience – not in the Italian of respectable opera – and the plot is packed with mischief, misunderstandings and mysterious motives. When the daughter of an imperious queen, Pamina, is stolen away, it's time for Tamino to intervene. And he gets help from surprising quarters.
Through all its twists and turns, Mozart's music is at its most enchanting, with some melodramatic outbursts for the devious queen. The full cast of The Magic Flute is still to be announced, but look out for the baritone Peter Brathwaite, who was a notable birdcatcher Papageno back in his Royal College of Music days, and whose other 2017 dates include appearances at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in Orlando Gough's music for Othello.
The Magic Flute is sung in English – it was written to be easily understood – and features Glyn Maxwell’s mischievous poetry, The new orchestration for this small-scale production is by Alex Beetschen, and Valentina Ceschi’s directs. An evening that the great joker Mozart would have enjoyed is on the cards, and he would definitely have enjoyed this production's novel opening: a couple are arguing in bed, and trying to piece together what on earth went wrong last night...
OperaUpClose has won a sheaf of awards for other productions, which include Bizet's Carmen, Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Verdi's La Traviata, and Puccini's La Bohème.
Booking for The Magic Flute at Soho Theatre already open, and early bookers get the best prices.
| What | The Magic Flute, Soho Theatre |
| Where | Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, Soho, W1D 3NE | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Tottenham Court Road (underground) |
| When |
06 Sep 17 – 07 Oct 17, Mon to Sat; also 2PM Thurs and Sat (except 7 Sept) |
| Price | £10 - £29 |
| Website | Click here for more information and booking |
