Die Zauberflöte

Premiered at Festival 2019, this high-energy production of Die Zauberflöte sets the action in a Viennese hotel at the turn of the century. Praised as ‘Witty, irrepressible and unforgettable’ by The Guardian, this staging by celebrated director-design duo André Barbe and Renaud Doucet takes a fresh and playful look at Mozart’s great opera.

Hand-drawn designs and elaborate puppetry conjure up a ‘visual feast’ (Evening Standard) of detail and delight, finding a whimsical, inventive spirit that matches one of the composer’s most enchanting scores.

But just as Die Zauberflöte’s musical charm – its catchy melodies, lively comedy and colourful cast of characters – conceals a complex and ambiguous piece, so this production also has its serious side. Inspired by the pioneering women of the Suffragette movement, the production explores ideas of female power and desire, and asks how a woman can gain authority in a man’s world.

The beauty of Mozart’s operatic allegory is its adaptability. Whether you want an innocent comedy or something rather more sophisticated, it’s all here in this endlessly perplexing and fascinating work.