Page 43 - FINAL_Theatre of Sound Coverage Book

26 October 2021

Michael Mayes Will Come to Theatre Of

Sound With BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE

These works will have their world premieres this autumn, at 2pm on Saturday 6 November and
Saturday 13 November.

by Stephi Wild

Baritone Michael Mayes returns to
London in November to sing the title
role in Bela Bartok's Bluebeard's
Castle with new opera company
Theatre of Sound. He shares the role
with bass-baritone Gerald Finley in
alternate performances, with
sopranos Susan Bullock and Gweneth
Ann Rand sharing the role of Judith. A
co-production with Opera Ventures
presented in partnership with Stone
Nest - a stunning former Welsh
chapel in the heart of London's West
End - this reimagined production
presents the work as a love story
between a long-married couple
facing the challenges of living with dementia. Co-director of Theatre of
Sound, Stephen Higgins, will conduct the London Sinfonietta, playing a
new chamber orchestration.

This production brings Mayes back to London after his acclaimed debut
with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican for his portrayal of the
title role in Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking in 2018. Multiple reviews
unanimously lauded his performance, including Bachtrack's review, which
hailed Michael Mayes as "nothing short of sensational. Physically, he looked
the part - a big man, the precise image of the casual murderer of your
nightmares. The voice matches the size of the man, with giant reserves of
power in a baritone of exceptional versatility."