SCOTTISH Opera tempts you to let a little bit of opera into your life as its free bite-sized version of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville hits the road this month.
A Little Bit of Barber condenses the fun-filled classic opera into 20 minutes, using a series of colourful illustrations, a storyteller, a singer and two musicians.
It tells the tale of Count Almaviva: desperately in love with the beautiful Rosina, he hatches a plan with his barber, and Seville’s resident fixer, Figaro, to help her escape the clutches of her guardian Doctor Bartolo, who fancies her himself.
The opera has a whole host of recognisable tunes and audiences are guaranteed to be singing ‘Figaro, Figaro, Figaro!’ all the way home.
The show will be popping up at a variety of unusual venues right through October including Clydebank Shopping Centre, Glasgow’s new Riverside Museum, Stirling Castle, Edinburgh’s Farmer’s Market and Surgeons’ Hall, Perth Royal Infirmary and Duthie Park’s Winter Garden.
It follows on from a busy summer for the A Little Bit of…team who’ve already toured pop-up versions of previous Scottish Opera productions at the likes of T in the Park and Belladrum music festivals, Edinburgh Castle, IKEA and even a multi-storey car park in Inverness!
The bite-sized performances are an ideal opportunity for anyone new to opera to give it a try – in a venue near them without having to book and completely for free. And as A Little Bit of Barber tours Scotland alongside Scottish Opera’s autumn production of The Barber of Seville, those who enjoy the taster can go on to experience the full opera complete with a 52 piece orchestra, 18-strong male chorus, full 19th century costume and set, a witty libretto and Rossini’s typically glorious music.
-ENDS-
Performance dates
West Dunbartonshire
Friday 14 October – 3pm and 4.30pm, Clydebank Shopping Centre, 170 Kilbowie Road, Clydebank, G81 2UA
Glasgow
Monday 17 October – 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3pm, Riverside Museum, 100 Pointhouse Place, Glasgow, G3 8RS
Tuesday 18 October – 7pm, Cookie, 72 Nithsdale Road, Glasgow, G41 2AN
Stirling
Tuesday 18 October – 12.45pm and 2.45pm, Stirling Castle, Castle Esplanade, Stirling FK8 1EJ
East Dunbartonshire
Wednesday 19 October – 10am and 12pm, Kilmardinny Arts Centre, Kilmardinny Avenue, Bearsden, G61 3NN
2pm and 4pm, William Patrick Library, 2-4 West High Street, G66 1AD
West Lothian
Thursday 20 October – 1.15pm and 2.15pm, Howden Park Centre, Howden, Livingston, EH54 6AE
Edinburgh
Friday 21 October – 6pm, The Scottish Storytelling Centre, 45 High Street, EH1 1SR
Saturday 22 October – 10am and 11.30am, Edinburgh Farmers Market, Castle Terrace
1.30pm, Surgeons Hall, Nicolson Street, GH8 9DW
Perthshire
Monday 24 October – Times TBC, North Inch Community Campus, Gowans Terrace, Perth, PH1 5BF
Tuesday 25 October – 10.30am and 12pm, Perth Royal Infirmary Medicine for the Elderly Unit, Taymount Terrace, Perth, PH1 1NX
2pm and 3.30pm, Children’s Out Patient Department/Paediatric Clinic
Aberdeen
Thursday 27 October – 10.45am and 1pm, Winter Garden, Duthie Park, AB11 7TH
7pm, Musa, 33 Exchange Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6PH
Inverness
Friday 28 October – 7.30pm, Hilton Community Centre, Oldtown Road, IV2 4HT
Saturday 29 October – 2pm, Maggie’s Highlands, Raigmore Hospital, Old Perth Road, Inverness IV2 3UJ
Times TBC, Eden Court, Bishops Road, Inverness, IV3 5SA
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Contact: Emma York
Phone: 0141 242 0552
Email: emma.york@scottishopera.org.uk
Website: http://www.scottishopera.org.uk
