Page 42 - FINAL_Theatre of Sound Coverage Book

Bluebeard’s Castle rehearsal: London Sinfonietta musicians, Susan Bullock and Gerald
Finley conducted by Stephen Higgins

One of Theatre of Sounds missions is to show that opera is inclusive, for people of all
backgrounds. To this end, they have formed an extended partnership with Live Music
Now and London Sinfonietta to facilitate a creative participation programme, and a new
work by composer Electra Perivolaris will be premiered on the set of the opera production
at Stone Nest, featuring musicians from Live Music Now and the London
Sinfonietta. Developing the theme of this reimagined Bluebeard,in Judith’s Castle the door
will be a symbol of memory. Electra has explained that her former experience of working
with Wigmore Hall’s Learning department and Glyndebourne Opera on projects for people
living with dementia, has made her committed to challenging perceptions of dementia
through music. Through a partnership with Rare Dementia Support, she will be working
with families living with dementia to create new pieces of music, of five to ten minutes in
length, drawn from their stories, experiences and musical memories. The performances
of Judith’s Castle will be relaxed and informal, lasting about 45 minutes, and will also
include reflections and insights from Julian West – a leading expert in the field of
dementia and music research – alongside poetry readings by actor and Alzheimer’s
Society ambassador Kevin Whately.

“When words are inaccessible, music can open up doorways,” says Daisy.

Theatre of Sound will present Bluebeard’s Castle at Stone Nest on 4-14 November. Judith’s
Castle will be performed at 2pm on Saturday 6 November and Saturday 13 November with
tickets available free of charge. Judith’s Castle will also be filmed for broadcast on the
London Sinfonietta’s website at a later date.

Claire Seymour