Barber of Seville - 2021

Due to Covid-19 our summer tour of Rossini’s comic opera ’The Barber of Seville’ has been rescheduled from last year to July and August 2021. But it will certainly be worth waiting for….

The original cast and directors have all stayed on board for the new schedule and Bath Opera already has a tremendous vision for the show from our Director, Jane Clark, together with the guarantee of excellent musical direction by Peter Blackwood:

Jane has described her production as ‘Restoration Comedy meets Whitehall Farce:

“Although there is subterfuge, sleight of hand and other well worn theatrical conventions, the characters are far from one dimensional. They retain the rounded individuality of those in Beaumarchais’ play on which the opera is based, and reflect the social order of the day.
“It is to the play that I have returned time and time again, and to Beaumarchais’ instruction to his cast to ‘keep the pace up’. Like the original play the opera should sparkle. Peter and I hope we have achieved this in our production.“

Figaro is of course central to the plot and uses all his cunning and brains to manipulate the rest of the cast. Dr. Bartolo, an elderly Doctor, seeks to make beautiful Rosina more than his guardian by marrying her. But Rosina has other ideas…

Master of disguises Count Almaviva, (also known as Lindoro, also known as a drunken soldier, also known as a singing teacher!) is madly in love with Rosina – although he has never actually met her!

With Figaro’s help she tries to thwart Bartolo’s plans to marry her. Rosina is certainly no shrinking violet – and rather fancies Lindoro (who is of course Count Almaviva).

Gentlemen beware if you dare to cross Rosina!

Add to the mix the greedy music teacher Don Basilio who runs with the hare and the hounds but has his price when it comes to whose side he is on. We also have the rather dotty rustic housemaid Bertha, who is more of a hindrance than a help.

And the result as you can imagine – is glorious mayhem!

And we have a great cast all lined up and ready to go. Meet the stars of 2021:

Figaro Bartolo Rosina
Michael Lam Niall Hoskin Katherine Cooper

Count Almaviva Basilio Bertha Chorus, Notary, Officer
Robert Felstead Edward Harper Becky Holden Richard Hathway / John Clark

Now you can hear our amazing cast sing and talk about the opera.

The opera will be sung in English and set in Seville in the early 19th C. To aid the fast-moving action, the recitatives will be replaced by dialogue adapted by director Jane Clark from an original version by Graham Billing. All the venues are intimate, so you will be close enough to feel you are caught up in the breathless action!

There will be seven performances as follows, all starting at 7.30pm –

July 8th, Wincanton Memorial Hall, High St, Wincanton BA9 9JX (SOLD OUT, but ring 01963 34196 for seats for the August 11th performance)
July 15th and 16th, Rondo Theatre, St Saviour’s Rd, Larkhall, Bath BA1 6RT
August 6th and 7th, Great Chalfield Manor, Melksham SN12 8NH
9th August, Strode Theatre, Church Rd, Street BA16 0AB
11th August, Wincanton Memorial Hall, High St, Wincanton BA9 9JX

(Necessarily in these uncertain times, these have to be regarded as provisional, but any updates will appear on this website.)

Tickets are on sale now for the Rondo Theatre performances on July 15th and 16th. Internet link https://rondotheatre.co.uk/the-barber-of-seville/ or
telephone 0333 666 3366

When the box office opens for the other venues, contact details will be published on this page.

A small selection of images