Fun with the Magic Flute
Mozart does panto in Kennet Opera 's latest show
SOMETHING very strange is going on in the little seaside resort of Newbury-on-Sea.
There is an ongoing battle between Sarastro, who runs a new (and horribly jolly) holiday camp, and the local Lady of the Manor who really thinks that such things are frightfully common and would rather this upstart and his redcoats would go away. Our innocent young friend Tamino stumbles into this battlefield and makes an immediate hit with the three tweedy ladies of the Lady’s Watch Committee, before teaming up with the local zookeeper Papageno, who is on a permanent quest to recover the animals (mostly birds) that have escaped from the zoo.
Meanwhile, Lady Muck’s daughter Pamina, tired of her mother’s shenanigans, has turned up in the holiday camp, but is for ever trying to ward off the attention of Monostatos, the bloke who stokes the boiler for the swimming pool. The tweedy ladies entice Tamino into mounting a rescue mission, but it’s not going to work out quite as intended. And what are the three boy scouts up to and whose side are they on?
Look carefully and you might recognise, buried somewhere in the above, the plot of Mozart’s wonderful pantomime The Magic Flute, which is coming in this guise to the Arlington Arts, courtesy of Newbury’s Kennet Opera, now proudly celebrating their 25th year.
Already a successful anniversary year, with its touring Viva Verdi! concerts in Hungerford, Wantage, Newbury and for the first time in Brimpton, this fresh production of The Magic Flute cast its spell on audiences at Arlington Arts on the evenings of Thursday, November 21, and Friday, November 22, with a matinee performance on Saturday, November 23.
A fantastical experience, Brexit-free, awaits all those who attend and ticket details can be found at
www.arlingtonarts.co.uk
For those who like to ‘do’ as well as watch, the company always welcomes new members and prides itself on being a very friendly group. No need for great voices or good sight-reading ability, just a love of singing, especially opera. Further details can be obtained from secretary@kennetopera.co.uk or at www.kennetopera.co.uk
