Tickets are on sale now for Scottish Opera's pop up summer tour
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Scottish Opera’s hugely popular Pop-up Opera kicks off at Glamis Castle next month before visiting iconic and surprising locations all over Scotland including Duthie Park and Haddo House.
Audiences can enjoy outdoor shows of A Little Bit of Barber and A Little Bit of Figaro, making it an ideal opportunity for anyone new to opera to try a taster of Rossini and Mozart’s classic comedies which have been cleverly re-scored by Scottish Opera’s Head of Music, Derek Clark.
They are performed alongside Scottish Opera original, Be A Sport, Spike! with music by Karen MacIver and words by Ross Stenhouse.
Aimed at children aged four to eight, Be A Sport, Spike! was originally commissioned for Festival 2018, the cultural programme for the Glasgow European Championships and tells the story of Mike ‘The Spike’ McTavish, the greatest sportsman the world has ever seen.
There’s no-one who can run faster, jump higher or swim further than mega-fit Spike, but there is one thing that Spike can’t do – sing!
Audiences will join Spike and his friends as he starts to exercise those vocal cords, and finds out that a little perseverance can go a long way.
The 30-minute shows are brought to life by storyteller Allan Dunn, along with singers Sarah Power, Jessica Leary and Andrew McTaggart, and cellist Andrew Drummond Huggan and guitarist Sasha Savaloni.
A series of colourful illustrations help guide audiences through the plot.
Scottish Opera’s director of education Jane Davidson said: "The last couple of years have proved beyond doubt that Scottish audiences are prepared to turn out to enjoy Pop-up Opera in all weathers – so once again we are taking to the road, visiting locations and venues across Scotland, with another trio of productions.
"We are delighted to present a double bill featuring one of the most famous characters in the entire operatic repertoire; The Barber of Seville and his subsequent adventures in The Marriage of Figaro, while for children and their families in particular, we tell the story of Mike ‘The Spike’ McTavish - the world’s greatest all round sporting hero!
"So why not book an appointment with the best barber in town, dance at Figaro’s wedding or learn to be a sport with Spike?"
During last year’s Pop-up Opera Roadshow there were 197 performances, which attracted an audience of over 11,000, condensing five fun-filled Gilbert And Sullivan classics and all their frivolity into 30 minute performances of A Little Bit of… The Gondoliers, The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore and Iolanthe.
For many, it was the first time they had come to a live performance since lockdown, many braving wind and rain to attend.
One audience member commented how it was ‘great to be back seeing and hearing gorgeous music again’, whilst others enjoyed being able to watch a show so close to home.
Pop-up Opera is supported by Friends of Scottish Opera.
Tickets are on sale at www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/pop-up-opera-2022/.
Public performances will take place on:
June 3 - Glamis Castle.
June 4 and 5 - Slessor Gardens, Dundee.
June 9 - Mugdock Country Park Milngavie.
June 10 - Duthie Park, Aberdeen.
June 11 - Haddo House, Methlick.
June 12 - Mackie Academy, Stonehaven.
June 15 - Eden Court, Inverness.
June 16 - Strathpeffer Pavilion, Strathpeffer.
June 18 - Summerlee Museum, Coatbridge.
June 20 - The Beacon, Greenock.
June 22 - Grinneabhat, Isle Of Lewis.
June 25 - Village Hall, Carradale.
June 26 - Mount Stuart, Isle Of Bute.
June 29 - Crichton Memorial Church, Dumfries.
June 30 - Fisherrow Links, Musselburgh.
July 1 - Kilmardinny House Arts Centre, Bearsden.
July 2 and 3 - Albert Halls, Stirling.
July 8 - Perth Concert Hall, Perth.
July 9 and 10 - New Park Square, Edinburgh.
