Audience members will be delving into the dark and atmospheric depths of the Crypt in Christ Church Cathedral to experience Irish National Opera’s new installation opera This Hostel Life. With only two performances on Thursday 26 and Saturday 28 September tickets to this world premiere will be in high demand.
In this promenade performance the audience descend into the crypt where they create their own route and encountering three INO Studio singers, Amy Ní Fhearraigh (soprano), Rachel Croash (soprano) and Andrew Gavin (tenor) each paired with a musician. As they move deeper into the space the audience will also experience the sound of New Dublin Voices performing. The four scenes will be performed simultaneously, and will be repeated, so the audience can pause as and where they wish, to absorb this unique opera event at their leisure.
The dynamic creative team behind This Hostel Life makes a bold statement of the Irish contemporary music and theatre scene. Their work has been performed world-wide from New York to Thessaloniki garnering individual critical acclaim along the way. The opera composed by Evangelia Rigaki, was inspired by a short story collection written by Nigerian writer Melatu Uchenna Okorie while living in direct provision.
In her previous work Evangelia Rigaki has taken on pressing contemporary issues – her opera Antimidas examined banking greed – and she addressed this with a rigour and an individuality that made a lasting impression. Melatu Uchenna Okorie describes how “The style and language of the stories in This Hostel Life, are both experimental and new. It’s kind of befitting I think, that the work text is the inspiration behind a unique and original installation opera”
The production is directed by Caitriona McLaughlin, Associate Director of the Abbey Theatre who earlier this year won the Best Director award at the Irish Times Irish Theatre Awards for Marina Carr’s On Raftery’s Hill (Abbey Theatre) and is designed by multi-award winning designer Sarah-Jane Shiels.
INO’s Artistic Director Fergus Sheil explains the motivation to stage This Hostel Life: “We want to present work that is relevant to society and has something to say about our life in Ireland today. As an installation opera, this is very experimental. The idea is that you walk into the space and can go to any of these four points. Anyone who is curious or has an open mind about performance art, literature, or opera can pop in and stay for five minutes or stay for two hours. It will be an open and welcoming experience”
A fearless approach to experimentation and storytelling unites this team, placing them firmly on the cutting edge and this project promises to be poignant, immersive, and an extraordinary experience for audience members.
Thursday 26 September 2019
Saturday 28 September 2019
The Crypt, Christ Church Cathedral
The doors open at 8pm and audience members can arrive any time until 9:40pm
Tickets: €15/€10
