MANDELA TRILOGY to Tour UK and Ireland, August 2016
By: Christina Mancuso Nov. 27, 2015
Wales Millennium Centre and Cape Town Opera are delighted to present the return of Mandela Trilogy, opening at Wales Millennium Centre on 24 August 2016, followed by a UK and Ireland Tour, finishing on 24 September 2016.
Mandela Trilogy, written and directed by Michael Williams with music by Peter Louis van Dijk and Mike Campbell, is a musical tribute to the life of Nelson Mandela and had its European premiere at Wales Millennium Centre in 2012.
Graeme Farrow, Artistic and Creative Director at Wales Millennium Centre said "Following its debut performances and fantastic reception at Wales Millennium Centre in 2009, we are delighted to be presenting Cape Town Opera's Mandela Trilogyon a UK and Ireland tour next summer. Showcasing the talent of the hugely gifted Cape Town Opera's company, this production will offer audiences a wonderful spectacle with its exceptional cast, award-winning chorus and original score. I'm delighted we are able to share the story of Nelson Mandela's heroic and inspirational life, two years after his death. This tour is another step in the development of collaborative and exchange projects between the Centre and our strategic partner - Cape Town Opera."
From tribal initiation rites on the banks of the Mbashe River, through the heady and rebellious jazz-fuelled days in Sophiatown, to incarceration and reflection on Robben Island and finally beyond, to freedom - this is the story of one of the world's most iconic figures.
The amazing life of Nelson Mandela is brought vividly to the stage by Cape Town Opera in a large-scale celebration and tribute to the man who touched hearts and minds around the world.
Told in three parts by a cast and orchestra of over 60 South African performers, the music matches the vastly different phases of Mandela's journey from freedom fighter to president. The upbeat jazz and swing-influenced songs of Sophiatown are framed by musical styles more familiar in contemporary opera - with a dash of Xhosa folk music that grounds the production in its African roots.
Written by two different composers, each Act is in stark contrast to the others, but with an over-arching dramatic theme that shines a light on the life of an extraordinary man.
For more information, visit http://www.wmc.org.uk/
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TOUR SCHEDULE 2016
24-27 August Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Now on sale
www.wmc.org.uk 029 2063 6464
31 August-3 September Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre Now on sale
www.southbankcentre.co.uk 0844 847 9910
7-10 September Mayflower Theatre, Southampton Now on sale
www.mayflower.org.uk 02380 711811
14-17 September Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin Now on sale
www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie 0818 719 377
20-21 September Birmingham Hippodrome On sale soon
www.birminghamhippodrome.com 0844 338 5000
23-24 September Lowry Theatre, Salford Now on sale
www.thelowry.com 0843 208 6000
Strategic Partnership - Wales Millennium Centre and Cape Town Opera
A strategic partnership has been created between a spirited opera company and a landmark arts centre, aimed at strengthening cultural links between Wales and South Africa.
The agreement between Wales Millennium Centre and Cape Town Opera cements their ongoing relationship and strengthens the Centre's association with South Africa's only repertory opera company. The company is South Africa's largest performing arts organisation. They made their UK debut at the Centre with a performance of Porgy and Bess as part of the Centre's 5th birthday celebrations in 2009.
By working together, both organisations aim to provide a platform for cultural exchanges. This will include opportunities for collaborative working with other arts companies and the potential to increase access to opera performances for audiences in Wales, the rest of the UK, Ireland and South Africa.
Wales Millennium Centre's vision is to establish a series of strategic partnerships with local, national and international organisations. It already has a five-year agreement with Galeri, Caernarfon and with the Mariinsky Opera. The partnerships mean that Wales Millennium Centre can continue to showcase Wales to the world and bring the best of the world to Wales.
The concept of establishing formal links between Wales Millennium Centre and Cape Town Opera was initially proposed in response to the long association the Centre has had with South Africa and Cape Town Opera, which dates back to the opening of the Centre in 2004. The Centre's relationship with Cape Town Opera stems from the Centre's association with its founding patron, Sir Donald Gordon and the Donald Gordon Foundation in South Africa.
Wales Millennium Centre
• Wales Millennium Centre is a landmark arts venue and a cultural destination, opened by Her Majesty the Queen on 28 November 2004.
• Its founding mission was to bring the best of the world to Wales and to showcase the best of Wales to the world.
• Built at a cost of £106m, its construction was funded by Welsh Assembly Government (£37m) and the National Lottery (£41m) through the Millennium Commission (£31m) and Arts Council of Wales (£10m).
• The Centre is supported by the Arts Council of Wales through an annual public investment grant, which is less than 20% of its annual turnover. For every £1 received from the public purse, an additional £4.50 is generated by its commercial activities and fundraising.
• Annually the Centre receives over 1.5 million visitors making it Wales' number one visitor attraction.
• The Centre sustains up to 1000 jobs and contributes over £60m annually to the economy of Wales.
• The Centre is internationally recognised for its striking architecture and was recently declared a National Treasure by the National Lottery following a public vote.
• On its 7.5-acre site in Cardiff Bay, the Centre has a 1900-seat lyric theatre, named after its founding patron Sir Donald Gordon, designed for opera, large scale musicals, ballet and contemporary dance.
• Other performance spaces include a 250-seat studio theatre, a dance house, 350-seat recital hall and a state of the art recording facility, BBC Hoddinott Hall.
• The Centre provides one of the largest free performance programmes in the UK and engages with nearly 90,000 young people annually through its Creative Learning and Community Engagement programme.
• Wales Millennium Centre is also home to eight other cultural organisations, including Welsh National Opera, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Literature Wales, as well as inclusive arts organisation, Hijinx Theatre and the Touch Trust.
• It has been described by Lord Lloyd Webber as the best theatre built in the world in the last 50 years.
• Wales Millennium Centre is a registered charity, number - 1060458.
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