Pop-up Opera shows return to Glamis Castle

Sasha Savaloni and Andrew Drummond Huggan in Scottish Opera's 2020 pop up version of The Gondoliers.

Scottish Opera’s hugely popular Pop-up Opera kicks off on Friday, June 3 at Glamis Castle before visiting iconic and surprising locations all over Scotland including Mugdock Country Park, North Bragar on the Isle of Lewis, Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life and Perth Concert Hall.

Audiences can enjoy outdoor shows of A Little Bit of Barber and A Little Bit of Figaro, making it an ideal opportunity for anyone new to opera to try a taster of Rossini and Mozart’s classic comedies which have been cleverly re-scored by Scottish Opera’s Head of Music, Derek Clark. They are performed alongside Scottish Opera original, Be A Sport, Spike! with music by Karen MacIver and words by Ross Stenhouse.

Aimed at children aged four to eight, Be A Sport, Spike! was originally commissioned for Festival 2018, the cultural programme for the Glasgow European Championships and tells the story of Mike ‘The Spike’ McTavish, the greatest sportsman the world has ever seen. There’s no-one who can run faster, jump higher or swim further than mega-fit Spike. But there is one thing that Spike can’t do – sing! Audiences will join Spike and his friends as he starts to exercise those vocal cords, and finds out that a little perseverance can go a long way.

The 30-minute shows are brought to life by storyteller Allan Dunn, along with singers Sarah Power, Jessica Leary and Andrew McTaggart, and cellist Andrew Drummond Huggan and guitarist Sasha Savaloni. A series of colourful illustrations help guide audiences through the plot.

Stephanie Stanway in Iolanthe, Pop-up Opera. Scottish Opera 2021.

Scottish Opera’s Director of Education, Jane Davidson, said: ‘The last couple of years have proved beyond doubt that Scottish audiences are prepared to turn out to enjoy Pop-up Opera in all weathers – so once again we are taking to the road, visiting locations and venues across Scotland, with another trio of productions. We are delighted to present a double bill featuring one of the most famous characters in the entire operatic repertoire; The Barber of Seville and his subsequent adventures in The Marriage of Figaro, while for children and their families in particular, we tell the story of Mike ‘The Spike’ McTavish - the world’s greatest all round sporting hero.”

During last year’s Pop-up Opera Roadshow there were 197 performances, which attracted an audience of over 11,000, condensing five fun-filled Gilbert & Sullivan classics and all their frivolity into 30 minute performances of A Little Bit of… The Gondoliers, The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore and Iolanthe.

Pop-up Opera is supported by Friends of Scottish Opera and tickets are on sale at www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/pop-up-opera-2022/

For full details of tour dates and locations visit www.scottishopera.org.uk or follow Scottish Opera on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @ScottishOpera