27 November 2019

Gerald Barry’s madcap Alice’s Adventures Under Ground is staged for the first time at House

Illustration for the original manuscript version of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures Under Ground ©

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Fun, furious, frantic and utterly fantastic! The surreal world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice, both in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, is given an extra twist in Gerald Barry’s operatic treatment. Barry’s characteristic high-speed energy and riotous sense of humour propel the action forward as Alice plunges down the rabbit hole into the depths of Wonderland. At less than an hour for the whole opera, this short, sharp shot of mayhem is ideal as a family treat. Antony McDonald (the director/designer of 2018/19’s Hansel and Gretel) directs and designs this new production – the first ever staging of this musically virtuoso opera – with more than a touch of the Victorian toy theatre. Meet a kaleidoscopic cast of colourful characters in this joyful, headlong rush into a world gone deliciously mad.

As well as Alice, all the familiar characters are present, including the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and The Red Queen, as well as singing bottles and cakes, the Duchess and her noisy baby, the Cheshire Cat, the Dormouse, the Knave of Hearts who stole the tarts, Humpty Dumpty and the White Knight. Audiences can enjoy a cookery session on the making of tarts, a performance on the Red Queen’s piano, croquet masterclasses delivered in German, French and English, the song Beautiful Soup, the poem Jabberwocky recited in Russian, a - board landscape, Alice running at high speed with the Red Queen, a train trip, a walk through the Wood of No Names, the fight between the Red and White Knights, and discussions of addition, subtraction and division among other treats.

All roles are double cast, with the opera performed twice on each performance date. Leading the cast in the role of Alice are two young sopranos, Dublin-born Claudia Boyle, who made her Royal Opera debut as Cecily in Barry’s The Importance of Being Earnest at the Barbican Centre in 2016, and British soprano Jennifer France, who made her Royal Opera debut singing several roles in George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence in 2018. Mezzo- sopranos Allison Cook and Clare Presland sing roles including the tempestuous Queen of Hearts, while mezzo-soprano Carole Wilson and contralto Hilary Summers perform roles including the Duchess. Tenors Nicky

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Spence and Sam Furness share the roles of the White King and Mad Hatter (among others), and tenors Robert Murray and Peter Tantsis (in his Royal Opera debut) sing March Hare and Tweedledee. Baritone and bass- baritone Stephen Richardson take on the roles of the White Knight, Cheshire Cat and Mock Turtle, and basses Alan Ewing and Joshua Bloom (making his Royal Opera debut) perform roles including Red Knight and Humpty Dumpty. Thomas Adès and Finnegan Downie Dear share the conducting honours.

Alice’s Adventures Under Ground opens on 4 February 2020, with subsequent performances on 6 February 2020 at 7pm and 9.15pm, Saturday 8 February 2020 at 11.30am and 1.45am and Sunday 9 February 2020 at 12noon and 2.15pm

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS 1. For further information or interview requests please contact Jolene Dyke or Antonia Channer 2. For images or press ticket requests please contact Hannah Last

ALICE’S ADVENTURES UNDER GROUND

4 February 2020 at 7pm and 9.15pm, 6 February 2020 at 7pm and 9.15pm, Saturday 8 February 2020 at 11.30am and 1.45am, Sunday 9 February 2020 at 12noon and 2.15pm

Generous philanthropic support from Mr Stefan Sten Olsson and Mr John Tierney, Hamish and Sophie Forsyth, Charles Holloway, Gonzalo and Maria Garcia and the Contemporary Music Circle.

Co-production with Irish National Opera

Sung in English (and other languages) with English surtitles

Creative team

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Music and Libretto Gerald Barry Director Antony McDonald Designer Antony McDonald Lighting designer Fabiana Piccoli Movement director Lucy Burge

Performers Conductor Thomas Adès Finnegan Downie Dear Alice Claudia Boyle Jennifer France Red Queen/Queen of Hearts Clare Presland Allison Cook White Queen/Dormouse Hilary Summers Carole Wilson White King/Mad Hatter Sam Furness Nicky Spence March Hare/Tweedledee Peter Tantsits* Robert Murray White Knight/Cheshire Cat/Mock Turtle Mark Stone Stephen Richardson Red Knight/Humpty Dumpty/King of Hearts Joshua Bloom* Alan Ewing

All other roles are played by members of the cast

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

*Royal Opera debut

About The Royal Opera The Royal Opera, under the artistic direction of Antonio Pappano, Music Director, and Oliver Mears, Director of Opera, is one of the world’s leading opera companies. Based in the iconic theatre, it is renowned both for its outstanding performances of traditional opera and for commissioning new works by today’s

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leading opera composers, such as Harrison Birtwistle, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Thomas Adès.

About the Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House’s aim is for many more people to enjoy and engage in exceptional ballet and opera. As The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, we bring together the world’s most extraordinary ballet and opera artists in more than 500 performances every year: live events that thrill, move and excite, and that transport people to other worlds though music, dance and theatre.

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