PRESS RELEASE for immediate release

Jasmin Vardimon directs & choreographs ‘Home’ - an OperaShots world premiere

20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28 April 7pm Linbury Studio , London

Jasmin Vardimon returns to the Royal House with a new commission to direct and choreograph Home, a compelling new short opera by minimalist Graham Fitkin, commissioned and produced by ROH2 for this year’s OperaShots double bill.

Only in its third year, OperaShots presents short, sharp and experimental opera world premieres and has already gained a name for unusual and imaginative points of departure. and librettists including Nitin Sawnhey, Stewart Copeland, Jocelyn Pook and Terry Jones have taken shots at this exciting art form.

In her very first creation with live music on stage, Vardimon directs a beautiful and hauntingly eerie new work exploring the idea of ‘home’ and how we strive to shield our homes from invasive and oppressive forces.

Home is performed by Jasmin Vardimon Company dancers Estéban Fourmi, Aoi Nakamura and Luke Burrough with singers Melanie Pappenheim and Victoria Couper and The Graham Fitkin Band performing live on stage. The design features animation by Jesse Collett, sets by JVC associate director Guy Bar-Amotz, lighting by Chahine Yavroyan and costumes by Linbury Prize winner Emma Bailey. The is written by Graham Fitkin and Jasmin Vardimon.

Home is performed as part of the OperaShots double bill alongside Sevastopol, composed by Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy fame. Commissioned and produced by ROH2, OperaShots is part of an ongoing programme of opera development work across House which ranges from full-scale commissions to development workshops, courses and observer programmes.

Sadlerʼs Wells Associate Artist, Jasmin Vardimon is a leading force in British dance theatre. OperaShots presents her second ROH commission, following her choreography for the Royal Opera's production of Tannhauser in Dec 2010. Jasmin was born and raised on a Kibbutz in Israel. She moved to London in 1997 where she founded Jasmin Vardimon Company. Enjoying sell-out performances across the UK and internationally, her companyʼs works include: 7734, Yesterday, Justitia, Park, Lullaby, Ticklish, LureLureLure, Tête, Madame Made and Therapist. Other choreographic commissions include work for Hellenic Dance Athens, CandoCo, WID, Bare Bones, Transitions and curation of the Dance Ballads Festival at the Oval House. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the prestigious Jerwood Choreography Award (2000).

Graham Fitkin is a UK composer who works with acoustic and electronic instruments, collaborates with dance, film and digital media alongside concert orchestral and chamber music, and is committed to involvement throughout the chain of music making - performing, , publishing, producing and educating. Graham has worked frequently with choreographers around the world including Shobana Jeyasingh, Wayne McGregor's Random Dance and New York City Ballet, and has collaborated with many of today’s foremost performers of new music including the Nederlands Blazersensemble, Will Gregory and Smith Quartet. Between 1994 and 1996, Graham was resident composer with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra producing five new works. Performing has always been important to Graham. KAPLAN toured the UK, Japan and Holland and STILL WARM for electronically manipulated harps toured the UK in 2007 with visuals by Marc Silver and Nick Corrigan.

ENDS

For more information, please contact: Helen Snell, 020 7240 5537 [email protected] www.jasminvardimon.com

Listings Info: 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28 April at 7pm Linbury Studio Theatre, London Box Office: 020 7304 4000 Tickets: £20, £17 £15. £10.50 standing (£11.50 concessions) Discover more at www.roh.org.uk/operashots