Experience opera like never before with MWO SmallStages as we present a brand new version of William Walton’s hilarious one-act comedy classic featuring three singers and five musicians.
When we started thinking about venues for The Bear, Barmouth was pretty close to the top of the list! Not just because we love the seaside, but because The Dragon Theatre will be just right for this production. The imposing, converted Victorian chapel houses a 186-seat traditional theatre auditorium ready-made for our SmallStages work. We can’t wait.
Composed in 1967 and based on Anton Chekhov’s play of the same name, The Bear tells the tale of the widow, Mme Popova, interrupted from her constant mourning by the arrival of the rough-hewn debt collector Smirnov (the “bear” of the title). Passions run high and their sparring culminates in a duel – and an unexpected romance.
After the interval join us for Tatyana’s Party Pieces, a light hearted take on the birthday party scene from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and a taster of MWO’s Spring 2018 Main Stage tour. These performances are part of Wales’ R17 commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution and are performed by arrangement with Oxford University Press.
A brilliant introduction for audiences new to opera and a fabulous opportunity for all music lovers to hear Walton’s classic comedy in its fiftieth anniversary year, this pilot SmallStages tour is designed to have the widest possible appeal and to fulfil MWO’s mission for keeping opera live and local across rural Wales.
