Arcola Theatre’s Grimeborn Opera Festival returns for a 16th year
Arcola Theatre today announces the full programme of productions in the 2023 Grimeborn Opera Festival, which is returning for its 16th year.
The Festival centrepiece is the European premiere of Marc Blitzstein’s ‘No For An Answer’ (26 – 29 July), directed by Arcola Theatre’s Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen.
Set in a Greek-American social club at times of austerity, cost of living crisis and rising unemployment, ‘No For An Answer’ was written in 1941 but speaks to the present with terrifying prescience and will demonstrate the compassion and farsightedness of Blitzstein and speak to a modern British audience.
American composer Blitzstein, a gay man murdered in 1964, won national attention in 1937 with the pro-union musical ‘The Cradle Will Rock’, also directed by Mehmet Ergen as Arcola’s 10th Anniversary production. It was originally directed by Orson Welles.
Leonard Bernstein, a close friend, said that Blitzstein’s contribution to the American musical theatre was “incalculable”. Blitzstein is also known for his off-Broadway translation/adaptation of ‘The Threepenny Opera’ by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, the opera ‘Regina’, an adaptation of Lillian Hellman’s play ‘The Little Foxes’ and the Broadway musical ‘Juno’, based on Seán O’Casey’s play ‘Juno and the Paycock’.
Arcola Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen said: “Every year it is a joy to bring ambitious and adventurous Opera to contemporary audiences at the Arcola Theatre. We’re passionate about making Opera accessible to all. Grimeborn allows us to do that with programming from both classical and radical, thought-provoking artists and companies from across the continent and some of the most affordable ticket prices in the UK.”
