The Essential Fairy Queen

About The Essential Fairy Queen

Purcell’s stunning music from “The Fairy Queen” is brought to life by Not Just Opera, who are returning to Woking following their highly-praised, sell-out performance in October.

Not Just Opera are on a mission to make opera fun, accessible and hugely entertaining for everyone, especially families and those who think opera is not for them.

The Fairy Queen contains some of Purcell's finest theatre music but is seldom performed as it is the incidental music for ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ requiring a huge cast to present all five Acts over four hours. Not Just Opera present the essential music in a shorter, semi-staged format. Each song is only subtly related to the action in the play in a metaphorical way, so we weave a story for you that focusses on the Fairy Court and guests as they celebrate King Oberon’s Birthday. The audience, especially children, feel like they are at the party. Interruptions come from humans who have wandered into the woods but as the night progresses, there is much mischief and Oberon and Titania fall out.

The music is diverse, capturing the pomp and ceremony of the Fairy Court “Hail! Great Parent!”, comic diversions “Scene of the Drunken Poet”, “Dialogue: Coridon and Mopsa”, the enchanting lullaby “Hush No More” and the devastating pathos of “The Plaint”.

The cast and ensemble include talented local professional musicians and stars Callie Gaston (soprano) as Titania, Simon Wilson (baritone) as Oberon and Eralys Fernandez (harpsichord). Ramani Langley (soprano) is the producer and director.

Quotes about “The Essential Fairy Queen”:

“My family absolutely LOVED it. It’s my brother's first opera and he wants to see more now!”

“It was wonderful. Absolutely loved this concept and brilliant to see so many children there.”

“Purcell’s Fairy Queen was intended to be an explosion of aesthetics but also fun, joy and amusement. The performance was true to the culture of the Baroque era.”

The performance is suitable for children and is performed in two 40-minute parts with an interval.

Cast

Callie Gaston (soprano) Titania, The Fairy Queen

Simon Wilson (baritone) Oberon, King of the Fairies

Richard Johnson (tenor) Phoebus, God of the Sun

Natalka Pasicznyk (soprano) Spring, Mystery

Cate Wands (alto) Summer, Fairy, Human

Richard Gun Cuninghame (tenor) Autumn

Tom Griffiths (baritone) Winter, Hymen, God of Marriage. Coridon “A Shepherd”

Harry Heaven (countertenor) Mopsa “A Maid”, Fairy, Human

Ramani Langley (soprano) Secresy, Human

Rachael Leslie (soprano) Fairy

The Not Just Opera Ensemble lead by Eralys Fernandez (harpsichord)

Susan Dalrymple (violin)

Philip Thorne (viola)

Sophie Gunapala (recorder)

Ami Lodge (flute)

BROUGHT TO YOU BY NOT JUST OPERA