Photo Flash: OperaUpClose's Family Show ULLA'S ODYSSEY to Make Waves at the Belgrade Theatre

The Olivier Award winning theatre company, OperaUpClose, will bring their first ever opera for children and families to the Belgrade Theatre from Tues 28 to Thurs 30 Mar. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the show below!

Ulla's Odyssey will play in the B2 auditorium and follows the story of a girl and her cat on a mission to sail around the world, set to a stunning musical score.

Fourteen-year-old Ulla is attempting to become the youngest person to sail the world single-handedly in her trusty sailing boat 'The Homer', with only her cat Binnacle to keep her company as she navigates the high seas.

All is not plain sailing, as our heroine encounters mythical creatures and obstacles on her journey, including Cy-ops, a one-eyed, over-zealous robotic customs official who mistakes her cat for smuggled contraband, and Sylla, a dangerous sea creature whose body and mind have been horribly twisted by radioactive rubbish dumped into the ocean.

Meanwhile the voices of the Sirens, Ulla's friends and family, call out to her from across the waves, tempting her to give up her lonely voyage and come home.

This new opera is an enchanting nautical fantasy by New Zealand composer Anthony Young and Canadian librettist Leanna Brodie and was the winner of both OperaUpClose's Flourish opera writing award and Opera Factory's composition competition.

The production is directed by OperaUpClose's Associate Director, Valentina Ceschi (The Elixir of Love and Dido & Aeneas for OperaUpClose) and designed by Faye Bradley (Linbury Prize Finalist 2013).

The show is inspired by Homer's Odyssey and features five singers, two instrumentalists, four musical instruments and one puppet cat. It is suitable for children aged 7+, families and any adult with a sense of fun and wonder.

This will be the fifth visit to the Belgrade Theatre for OperaUpClose who have previously brought their successful productions of La Traviata, Carmen, The Marriage of Figaro and La Boheme for which they won the 2011 Oliver Award for Best Opera Production and the WhatsOnStage.com Award for Best Off-West End production.

Ulla's Odyssey will run in the Belgrade Theatre's B2 auditorium from Tues 28 - Thurs 30 Mar. Tickets are available now priced from £13.50 for adults, £8.50 for children and £35 for families. To book, call the Belgrade Box Office team on 024 7655 3055 or visit www.belgrade.co.uk for cheaper tickets online.