Page 561 - Aldeburgh Festival 2022 FINAL COVERAGE BOOK

Described as an opera “for now, about now” the story follows Violet. Struggling
with depression, she lives in a large house with her husband Felix and their maid

Laura. Theirs is a world ruled by routine and structure – “Lights go on at six,

bread rises in the ovens at seven and the front doors are opened at eight” – until
the nature of time begins to change, or more aptly, to disappear.

Michael McCarthy, Director of Music Theatre Wales, said this of the production:
“I am thrilled to welcome you to this world premiere touring performance

of VIOLET. The journey to reach this point has not been straightforward, and I
want to offer my sincere thanks to the creative team who have shown such

resilience, determination and vision to bring this piece to life, and of course to

Tom Coult and Alice Birch for their incredible forbearance as their creation was
held in suspense for two long years, as well as for their amazing piece!”

“[…]Making work of this quality and ensuring it reaches audiences in Wales and
England who are excited at the prospect of encountering new opera is the thing

that makes us tick. Our challenge is to ensure new opera remains part of our

cultural landscape, and the best way to do this is to make work that is of now. I
believe VIOLET fulfils this aim and I hope you will agree with me that it has been

well worth waiting for.”

You can watch the interview with VIOLET director Jude Christian below.