>June Events / >March Events / Art & Theatre / Events in Norfolk and Suffolk / Tourist Attractions Norfolk and Suffolk March 4, 2014
Great Yarmouth born John Ramster never imagined as he grew up in Lowestoft and started acting at the Seagull Theatre that one day he would be directing his own new opera in his home town following an acclaimed London run (4 stars Whatsonstage.com, 3 nominations for Off West End awards, 5 stars fringeopera.com).
His Kiss me, Figaro! for the Merry Opera comes to Diss Corn Hall next Thursday 6 March, St George’s Theatre Great Yarmouth 7 March and will return to Norfolk in June on 21st (Norwich Playhouse). He stays in contact with his Norfolk roots through is family who still live locally.
John who recently returned from directing Le nozze di Figaro in Finland has worked across Europe (Ireland, Finland, Portugal, Spain and Serbia) as well the UK. He is a professor of acting at the Royal Academy of Music, a sometime screenwriter for soap operas, a published author (Ladies’ Man has been translated into 7 languages) and his next book will be a murder-mystery set in Handel’s London
Merry Opera have previously toured to Diss, Great Yarmouth and Norwich with their ‘burlesgue’ La Traviata and last year’s acclaimed Magic Flute.
Kiss me, Figaro! is a new romantic comedy set backstage at the opera where offstage romance and drama is played out for real when the curtain rises! Effectively a ‘jukebox’ opera the show includes a wide range of operatic favourites, together with some more unusual repertoire (see notes below) and songs by Irving Berlin and his contemporaries – there are new translations and bespoke arrangements. It’s a treat for opera fans and a fun introduction for those new to opera.
Thu 6 March 2014 – Diss Corn Hall at 7.30pm
Corn Hall, St Nicholas Street, Diss IP22 4LB
£15, £12 concs, £45 family ticket
Box Office: 01379 652241 or [email protected]
Fri 7 March 2014 – Great Yarmouth, St George’s Theatre
St. Georges Theatre, King’s Street, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 2PG
£16, £14 concs
Box office: 01493 331484
Sat 21 June 2014 – Norwich, The Playhouse at 7.30pm
42-58 St George’s Street, Norwich NR3 1AB
£15, £12.50 concs, £46 family ticket
Box office: 01603 598 598
Libretto & Director: John Ramster
Music Director & pianist: Stephen Hose
Assistant Director/Stage Manager: Rebecca Hanbury
Choreographers: Carole Todd
Set Design: Louise Carver
Costume Design: Michelle Bradbury
Lighting Design: Del Hoggan
Cast: Cast: Daisy Brown (as Daisy Brown), Felicity Buckland (as Una Bryant), Dario Dugandzic (as Tim Connor), Kristin Finnigan (as Jacqueline Sherwood), James Harrison (as George Polignac), Stephen Hose (as Sidney Austin), Tom Lowe (as Tim Hicks), Joe Morgan (as Joe Morgan), Matthew Quirk (as Marcus Sherwood), Daniel Roddick (as Marcus Sherwood) & Jenny Stafford (as Rachel Harmon)
Produced by: The Merry Opera Company
Press & PR: Katherine Ives of Trilby Productions
Website: www.riversidestudios.co.uk and www.merryopera.co.uk
