Riders to the Sea
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Captioned throughout, as part of the production design.
Overview
Riders to the Sea with a new dramatic prologue and chamber orchestration by Michael Betteridge, performed by Manchester’s acclaimed LGBTQ+ chorus The Sunday Boys.
Seating for this show will be on Blackpool Grand’s Stage. All seating is unreserved.
A man haunted by the ghosts of his past, finds himself drawn back to his family home and the memory of a great loss.
OperaUpClose brings new life to the classic Riders to the Sea, a short English-language opera. Through stunning projections, beautiful live music, and easy-to-follow text, this powerful story of love, loss, and resilience is captivating for all audiences.
Partnered with a new dramatic prologue, The Last Bit of the Moon, Riders to the Sea tells the story of a family, Maurya, Bartley, Kathleen and Nora and a seemingly inevitable chain of events.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Offers a delightful toe in the water to new audiences to experience and enjoy the unique theatrical form that is Opera.” West End Best Friend
“A unique theatrical experience.” Stage Masters
“OperaUpClose has reached new heights of artistic expression” Opera Today
“Sensitively directed by Flora McIntosh” and “Captures the spirit of Vaughan Williams” The Times (Exeter)
“Michael Betteridge’s reduction of Vaughan Williams’ original orchestration to voices, three musicians and a soundscape intensifies and enlarges the experience to something that feels personal yet universal.” Pink Prince Theatre (Plymouth)
“Riders to the Sea is a wonderful experience and at just 65 minutes long, it makes for a great introduction to opera. Its scale may be small, but this miniature opera is nothing short of mighty.” Plymouth Live
Part 1 – At night, Bartley is troubled by the memory of his brother Michael, who drowned long ago. Struggling with guilt, he looks at the moon and tries to make sense of his grief, hoping to find peace and clarity in the shadows of his past.
Part 2 – Bartley’s family believes his brother Michael is dead, but they’ve never found his body. Bartley wants to leave, but his mother, Maurya, fears the sea will take him too. After Bartley leaves, Maurya finally accepts Michael’s death, and the family begins to heal from their pain.’
Riders to the Sea by Ralph Vaughan Williams and JM Synge in a new orchestration by Michael Betteridge. With a new dramatic prologue, The Last Bit of the Moon, composed by Michael Betteridge, and written by ArtfulScribe’s Community Sirens Collective led by Antosh Wojcik. OperaUpClose in association with MAST Mayflower Studios present Riders to The Sea.
If you love Classical Theatre, see what else we have coming to Blackpool Grand Theatre this season HERE
Show information
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Captioned
At a captioned performance the words are displayed on a screen (or screens), placed near the stage or in the set and can be seen at the same time as they are spoken or sung.
