Gothic Opera will be returning to the stage this autumn with a Halloween double bill at the Round Chapel in Hackney, London.
Renowned for their evocative revivals of underrated artists, the company aims to revive the forgotten works of nineteenth-century female composers—Le Loup-garou (The Werewolf) by Louise Bertin and Le dernier sorcier (The Last Sorcerer) by Pauline Viardot—with showings from 27 October to 1 November 2022.
Directed by Eleanor Burke, Le Loup-garou tells the story of forbidden love between Alice (an orphaned shepherdess engaged to village falconer Bertrand) and Count Albéric who keeps his lycanthropy hidden. Despite its initial success at its 1827 premiere, the piece has since faded into obscurity.
This revival will allow modern audiences to experience this forgotten work in its original French form, making it the first original language performance globally since the opera’s debut.
Forty years later, Pauline Viardot wrote her ‘salon’ opera Le dernier sorcier to a libretto by Ivan Turgenev. While this composer is considerably better-known, this piece hasn’t been heard in the UK until now.
Director Edwina Strobl describes the opera as “the ultimate fairy-tale—a forest setting, a baddie who refuses to let go of power, a love story and a comic sidekick.”
Both works are united by a thematic interest in the supernatural, blending light-hearted character with a subtly sinister undercurrent. From fiendish sorcerers and werewolves to innocent and unyielding tales of romance, audience members are invited into a world of magic and mystery with stories guaranteed to get you in the spooky spirit.
Tickets are available for purchase from the Gothic Opera website.
Words by Katie Heyes
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