Jose Cura and NDO's street Alfredo Christian Schleicher
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Traviata Hits the Streets in Devon

New Devon Opera has been commissioned by Exeter Council to present an unusual piece of street theatre on the last day of this year’s Exeter Summer Festival. The company will present a 25 minute version of La Traviata at four venues around the city on Saturday 10 July.

Verdi’s late masterpiece is NDO’s main production this Summer, playing in a number of West Country locations during July. For the special event on 10 July, adapted by director Martyn Harrison, Violetta will be sung by Anja Rossau and Alfredo by Christian Schleicher, with Stephen Svanholm singing Germont. They will be supported by the NDO (community) chorus and will perform in English.

The “Flash Opera” event will take place at two hourly intervals at Quayside, Guildhall Shopping Centre, Catherine Street Square and Castle Street, no doubt delighting and bewildering shoppers in equal measure.

Back on the main trail, the full production will star Sarah Helsby Hughes, Ben Kerslake and Bruce Graham, with the participation of two young Devon tenors, Simon Marsh and Matt Straw, both of whom are just embarking on their professional singing careers (they will share the roles of Alfredo’s friend, Gaston and Violetta’s servant, Giuseppe).

Devon’s only professional opera company, NDO has benefited from having the international tenor Jose Cura as patron for several years. He has carried out a series of masterclasses with the company (the Jose Cura Opera Project).

Past productions have included The Magic Flute, The Barber of Seville, Tosca, Rigoletto and La bohème.

Further details of all New Devon Opera's activities can be found at www.newdevonopera.co.uk and you can follow them on Twitter (@newdevonopera) and Facebook

- by Simon Thomas

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