University News Last updated 02 February 2015
Staff and students from Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University, will portray what it really means to be British in a brand new full length English opera being premiered this month.
Set in the 1980s and supported by Arts Council England, ‘Ava’s Wedding’ is an original story which follows ten intertwined narratives based on misunderstandings and secrets, all exposed in the lead up to Ava Blackwell’s big day.
Using stereotypical portrayals of polite and embarrassed Brits, the show’s characters fail to speak up and their problems soon escalate, culminating in a bevy of breaks ups, fall outs, suicides and murders.
Michael Wolters, Deputy Head of Composition at Birmingham Conservatoire and ‘Ava’s Wedding’ composer, said: “When I first came to the UK from Germany I found it both fascinating and frustrating that nobody here says what they really think.
“Diners go hungry rather than complaining about bad food, friends are always ‘fine’ even when they’re falling apart inside and people get the same hideous present from their aunt every year because they’re too polite to say that they never liked it.
“Because none of the characters in ‘Ava’s Wedding’ are being honest, their real thoughts are revealed on stage by ‘Truth’ – a group of four singers who are present on stage throughout and vocalise what the characters are really thinking.”
Running from 26 – 28 February at Birmingham’s Crescent Theatre, ‘Ava’s Wedding’ takes inspiration from various music styles, from Renaissance to 1980s new wave and beyond.
For more information and to book tickets, visit the Crescent Theatre.