Page 161 - Aldeburgh Festival 2022 FINAL COVERAGE BOOK

7 June 2022

Violet – A New Opera from

Alice Birch & Tom Coult

If you’ve never been to, or encountered opera on stage, we reckon the new
work from writer ALICE BIRCH and composer TOM COULT is the place to
start.

This new production – VIOLET is very much an opera for now and about
now.

In a muddied nightdress, in a country kitchen, Violet finally smiles. For years,
her tired daily routine has been dictated by the inescapable chime of the
Clock Tower, until one night she feels time quicken. Suddenly an hour is lost
– every day. As the hours disappear, long-held certainties evaporate and
ordered society falls into disarray. With the townspeople in crisis, can Violet
finally escape?

Violet has been a long time in the wings, it was due to be premiered in 2020
at the pandemic cancelled Aldeburgh Festival. The good news is, it has now
taken to the stage and we have plenty of chances to catch it right across
Wales, and beyond.