Jonathan Miller. Photo: Susannah Hubert
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Jonathan Miller to direct at Dorset opera festival

Dorset Opera has announced its 2013 Festival programme, which includes Verdi’s La traviata, to be directed by Sir Jonathan Miller.

The Festival, which runs from 24-27 July, celebrates the bicentenaries of the births of Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner, and also features The Flying Dutchman.

Sir Jonathan Miller will need no introduction to opera audiences having established himself as one of the world’s most celebrated opera directors. Dorset Opera Festival artistic director Roderick Kennedy said: “We are delighted that possibly Britain’s greatest living polymath has agreed to direct our new production of La traviata. Many of Jonathan Miller’s works are repertoire mainstays for Britain’s major opera companies: who will ever forget his Barber of Seville and brilliant Mikado – both of which form the basis of the current English National Opera season – along with his infamous mafia Rigoletto. La traviata will be conducted by Phillip Thomas, an old ENO colleague of Jonathan, who was responsible for Dorset Opera’s Tosca in 2011, and Il trovatore last year.”

Dorset Opera, established in 1974, has gained a considerable reputation for staging Grand Opera of a quality that many larger, well-funded opera companies would be proud. This will be the first time the company has performed Wagner. It is to be conducted by music director, Jeremy Carnall, and directed by Paul Carr whose acclaimed production of Suor Angelica in 2012, was one of Opera Now’s ‘Highlight’s of the summer’.

The performances take place in the 600-seat Coade Theatre situated in the grounds of Bryanston School, Blandford - a ‘country house’ setting amid 400 acres of glorious Dorset parkland.

Sir Jonathan Miller will also be giving a lecture under the auspices of the Dorset Opera Festival entitled ‘Under the influence…’ at the Coade Theatre at 7.30pm on Saturday 25 May 2013.

- by Simon Cole

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