The premiére of Misper, an opera for young people by John Lunn and Steven Plaice - took place in 1997. In 2000, Zoë, the second opera created by the same team, was seen and subsequently made into a film by Channel 4. In 2006 Glyndebourne commissioned the third in the Lunn / Plaice Trilogy: Tangier Tattoo which was performed as part of Glyndebourne on Tour 2006.
The new opera takes as its subject a young couple's relationship as they travel together through Europe. It was commissioned specifically to attract 18-30 year olds into the theatre. Tangier Tattoo gave 10 performances on the 2005 Glyndebourne Tour.
The Story:
Tangiers, the crossroads of two civilisations, where East meets West. Nick, a young backpacker meets Nadine, a beautiful American girl. At a cafe in the old city, they are caught up in a drug exchange that goes wrong, in which two European drug-dealers are gunned down. They escape the shoot-out with as briefcase full of money. Holed up in a seedy hotel, they decide they are going to have the time of their lives. But that night Nadine reveals to Nick a mysterious tattoo that she has had done in the city, the female half of a tattoo representing 'perfect love'...
Composer John Lunn
Book and lyrics Stephen Plaice
Director Stephen Langridge
Designer Alison Chitty
Conductor James Morgan
Movement Phillippe Giraudeau
Lighting Designer Paul Pyant
Glyndebourne on Tour Orchestra, The Glyndebourne Chorus
Starring: Katherine Rohrer, Roland Davitt, Julian Forsythe, Rachid Sabitri, Omar Ebrahim, Jonathan Best, Rodney Clarke
Première at Glyndebourne October 22nd 2005.
Reviews
'If every opera production were like this, the genre would soon shake off its cumbersome geriatric image.'
Richard Morrison The Times
'Well, the work might be unashamedly targeted at twentysomethings, but
those expecting a patronisingly poppy 'youf' experience should be pleasantly surprised ... Lunn's score is certainly operatic, accessible, melodic and eclectic ... Plaice's sex'n'drugs in Morocco storyline would make a decent TV drama ... the cast are uniformly excellent ... The whooping and whistling at the end indicated that the work's target audience approved. This fiftysomething did, too.'
David Gillard Daily Mail
'With its topical themes of drug-running and terrorism, the plot is sharp and smart, if initially slow-burning, and Plaice's libretto is promising.'
Edward Seckerson The Independent
'Most worrying of all is the sense that any self-respecting youth audience is going to see through Glyndebourne's attempt to get with the kids as a patronising gesture of trendy inclusivity.'
Tom Service The Guardian
'Wow, how cool is that, man !... Derivative drivel like this will never convert the iPod generation'
Rupert Christiansen The Daily Telegraph
'If I was introducing someone to the opera, I would take them to this - and I'll be going home and telling all my friends,"Oh my God, I've been to the opera!" '
Alex of the Suffrajets, The Guardian
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