Innovative new production of The Cunning Little Vixen comes to Grimeborn

Director Guido Martin-Brandis brings an innovative new production of Janácek's The Cunning Little Vixen to the Arcola Theatre as part of the Grimeborn Festival 2017. Guido Martin-Brandis will be joined by veteran theatre maker Alexander McPherson, who was head of design at the Bristol Old Vic, and Theatre Royal and has designed shows for the Welsh National Opera, Opera North and Scottish Opera. The pair join forces again after the success of their 2016 collaboration for BBC Young Musician of the Year winner, Grace Evangeline Mason’s debut opera The Yellow Wallpaper. The Cunning Little Vixen is the story of a young Vixen growing up in the parallel worlds of animals and humans, after having been brought home by a forester. Featuring dance, masks and puppetry and video projections to depict the animal world, this show will mix art forms to reach new opera audiences, young and old.

Sung in English with a brand new chamber arrangement, the cast features some of the UK's most promising young artists, including Alison Rose, who in June 2017 made her Garsington debut and will debut at the ENO next season, having sung as a soloist in the Last Night of the Proms 2016 and recently sponsored by the Glyndebourne New Generation Programme at the National Opera Studio alongside Oliver Gibbs, Beth Margaret Taylor, Timothy Langston, Ashley Mercer, and Camilla Farrant.

Guido Martin-Brandis, director, said: “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be launching our new Opera company, aptly named The Opera Company, with which we plan to produce shows at the very highest level of what fringe opera can achieve.The Cunning Little Vixen is not only a delightful opera with strong storytelling elements and stunning music, it’s also given the entire cast plenty of scope to explore working with the Meisner technique, physical theatre, choreographers, dancers and puppets. It’s been a thrill to work with Alexander McPherson who brings so much experience to the project. On a personal note, I’m also eager to join the Grimeborn festival as a director, having worked as an assistant the previous two seasons and have always admired the high quality of work they produce.” The Cunning Little Vixen will be presented at the Arcola Theatre on 31 July, 1,3,4 August at 7.30 with a cover cast matinee on the 4th August at 4pm.

THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN TICKETS