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Protein Brings THE MAGIC FLUTE to DanceEast, Ipswich and The Place, London

Luca Silvestrini’s The Magic Flute tells the tale of love and friendship triumphing over darkness.

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Protein Brings THE MAGIC FLUTE to DanceEast, Ipswich and The Place, London

This Christmas, Protein will present the world premiere of its highly anticipated new dance-theatre adaptation of Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute, at DanceEast, Ipswich (12 - 14 December) and The Place, London (17 - 24 December).  

Created especially for children 5+ and their families, Luca Silvestrini’s The Magic Flute tells the tale of love and friendship triumphing over darkness. The story follows the fun-loving bird catcher Papageno and the lost Prince Tamino as they set out on a quest to rescue Princess Pamina, uncovering the truth about the mysterious Queen of the Night and the powerful leader Sarastro.  

Of The Magic Flute, Luca Silvestrini said: “The Magic Flute marks our first new stage production since The Little Prince premiered in 2018, and we’re thrilled to share this reimagined version with audiences of all ages this festive season. Everyone at Protein has worked incredibly hard over the past few years to keep creating and connecting with communities through dance and theatre, and I am deeply proud of all we’ve accomplished during this time. To now bring a new full-length production to the stage is a truly special moment. I can’t wait to see it come to life this December.” 

Co-commissioned by DanceEast and The Place, The Magic Flute is Protein’s first new full-length stage production in 7 years. Brought to life through a playful mix of dancing, singing, storytelling using Schikaneder’s libretto, and striking visuals, with set and costume designs by Dick Bird, a rearranged version of the original Mozart score with additional new music by Frank Moon, creative captions and video design by Douglas Baker, and lighting by Rachel Shipp.  

Featuring a cast of four performers in multiple roles, including Nathan Bartman, Jacob Lang, in his first production with Protein, soprano Donna Lennard, and Faith Prendergast who originated the title role in Protein’s The Little Prince. 

With accessibility at its heart, every performance includes integrated creative captioning, with select relaxed shows also offering BSL interpretation, touch tours and audio description, ensuring a welcoming experience for all.  

Following the success of Protein’s award-winning family show The Little Prince, this enchanting new production offers the perfect festive outing for families this Christmas.  

For over 25 years Luca Silvestrini’s Protein has been one of the most distinctive voices in British dance theatre, blending choreography, text, music, and social commentary to engage and entertain audiences and participants across the world. Winner of the Critic’s Circle National Dance Award for Best Independent Dance Company in 2011 and nominated again in 2016, its body of work includes LOL (lots of love), Border Tales, May Contain Food, The Little Prince, and dance film The Sun Inside. For his work Luca has won a Jerwood Choreography Award, a Bonnie Bird New Choreography Award, The Place Prize Audience Award and One Dance UK’s Artistic Innovation in Dance Award.  



Theater Fans' Choice Awards
2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats
Best New Musical - Top 3
1. The Lost Boys
36.4% of votes
2. Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
24.3% of votes
3. Schmigadoon!
22.9% of votes

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