Opera World Premiere The Skating Rink featuring live figure-skating opening 5 July

Clare Adams Publicity

NEW OPERA BASED ON AWARD-WINNING BOLAÑO NOVEL
PREMIERES AT GARSINGTON OPERA THIS SUMMER

On 5 July 2018 Garsington Opera stages its first festival world premiere. Based on award-winning novel The Skating Rink by Chilean author Roberto Bolaño, the opera tells a thrilling tale of jealousy, political corruption and passion.

Set in a seaside town on the Costa Brava, the production will feature live figure-skating and an exceptional cast. The story of The Skating Rink is told by three narrators, revolving around Nuria, a beautiful young figure-skating champion. When she is dropped from the Olympic team, Enric, a besotted civil servant, pilfers public funds and builds her a secret practice rink in a deserted mansion. Nuria has affairs and the plot soon spins into blackmail, bad faith and treachery; the skating rink becomes a crime scene.

Leading British composer David Sawer, whose previous operatic work includes From Morning to Midnight (ENO 2001), has composed a score which is full of character, drama and beauty, drawing on Spanish and Latin American styles, set to a libretto by award-winning playwright Rory Mullarkey. David Sawer said: “Immediately what grabbed me about the book was its structure. The fact that it is a story told from multiple viewpoints; that there isn’t just one linear narrative, that there are interlocking stories and that the events are told from different perspectives…that was very interesting for me, musically. There are lots of different themes in the narrative. What I think I’ve written is almost like a filmstrip, which will come to life when it is staged.”

Stewart Laing directs and designs, supported by regular collaborators, including Korean-born Costume Designer Hyemi Shin, who was the overall winner of the 2011 Linbury Prize and recently designed The Return of Ulysses (Roundhouse/Royal Opera). Garry Walker conducts and the cast includes: Neal Davies (Enric), Susan Bickley (Carmen), Alan Oke (Rookie), Sam Furness (Gaspar), Lauren Zolezzi (Nuria), Ben Edquist (Remo), Claire Wild (Caridad) and Louise Winter (Pilar).

BBC Radio 3 will record a live performance for broadcast in the autumn.
Performances: 5, 8, 10, 14, 16 July 2018
Tickets: 01865 361636 or http://www.garsingtonopera.org

17 April 2018
PRESS ENQUIRIES CLARE ADAMS 07793 556103 / clare@garsingtonopera.org