Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss, outdoor summer opera at the ORNC

Spin PR

22 June 2006

An exciting outdoor production of the renowned operetta ‘Die Fledermaus’ is being presented on a national tour by the acclaimed opera company Opera Box and will be performing at London’s renowned river-side landmark – The Old Royal Naval College on 22 July at 7.30pm where audiences will be treated to the highlights of al-fresco viewing in the summer.

Composed non-stop in forty-two ‘nights of veritable rapture’ this is the ‘The Waltz King’s’ most celebrated and popular operetta – intoxicatingly melodious and exuberant.

Mistaken identities, flirtations, elegant frivolities and confusion abound in this enthralling production. Eisenstein plays a joke on his friend Dr. Falke which results in Falke walking home from a fancy dress party dressed as a bat (eine Fledermaus). The masquerade ball of Prince Orlofsky proves to be the perfect opportunity for Falke to arrange an elaborate revenge. The resulting comic deception and intrigue in the glamorous setting of the Prince’s 1890 Vienna villa forms the background for some of the most beautiful and challenging music in opera.

The performance takes place nearly 162 years after Johann Strauss’s debut in 1844 when, at the age of 19, he performed his first concert at "Dommayer" in Hietzing. In the latter part of his career, Strauss sought a wider outlet for his music than the dance world in which he and his father had previously dominated, instead turning to theatre. He wrote 17 operettas of which Die Fledermaus (The Bat, 1874) and Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron, 1885) were the most popular.

The Old Royal Naval College is one of London’s most foremost riverside landmarks and is managed today by the Greenwich Foundation. Built for charitable public purpose rather than to glorify personal status the Old Royal Naval College was established by Royal Charter in 1694 as the Royal Naval Hospital for the relief and support of seamen and their dependents. Sir Christopher Wren planned the site and during the first half of the eighteenth century various illustrious architects, such as Hawksmoor, Vanburgh and James ‘Athenian’ Stuart completed the design. There is a rich history to the site even before Wren’s Hospital. In Tudor times Greenwich Palace, reputedly Henry VIII’s favourite palace and the birthplace of Elizabeth I, lay on the site.
In 1998 the Royal Navy departed for its new base at Shrivenham and responsibility for the College passed to the newly established Greenwich Foundation. Today, these glorious buildings and grounds are also home to the University of Greenwich and Trinity College of Music.

Die Fledermaus provides a hilarious vehicle for some of the most captivating music ever written and is certain to enchant and delight audiences.

Tickets for this event are certain to be popular and we advise to avoid disappointment you book your tickets without delay by contacting 0208 269 4799.

ENDS

Editors Note:

Opera Box was founded in 1988 by Artistic Director Brendan Wheatley and Bridgett Gill and operates as a mid-scale touring company, now presenting over 70 performances a year in theatre’s and outdoor venues. Clear productions with fine singing, beautiful traditional costumes and striking sets have been the hallmark of the company’s success. Many of the company’s singers have worked for the major British opera companies including the Royal Opera House – Covent Garden, ENO, WNO, Opera North and Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

For further information and images please contact Lisa at SPIN on telephone: 01225 767681 or email: lisa@marketingspin.co.uk