Puccini in a pub

[french frank]

This production is obviously an old story, but I'd missed it.

"A production of Puccini's La Boheme, which started life in a tiny pub theatre, has slain the might of five international opera companies.

The show, put on by OperaUpClose, won the best new opera production prize at Sunday's Olivier Awards.

Director Robin Norton-Hale took Puccini's classic story and gave it a contemporary twist. It is now set in present day Kilburn, in London, with aspiring novelist Rodolfo working on a laptop. [...]

"I took it and I set it in Kilburn and I thought 'who are these people?' - they've just left university and they're wondering what to do with their lives."

[amateur51]

I saw this production a while back and a darned good night out it was too. Mind, we are talking opera in English and music played on a piano but it's shocking how quickly you forget when you can actually hear the words above the music

This production is now to be found here, along with some other interesting sounding productions:

http://www.kingsheadtheatre.com/main.html

[french frank]

I've been to several productions at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol by Opera Project. They're a few rungs further up the ladder (with a 12-13 piece band!) but it's very much the same 'take your pint in with you' atmosphere, and there's certainly the feeling of it being 'the real thing'. Coincidentally, they're also doing La Bohème this year but they're by no means limited to the old favourites.

It's great to see enthusiasts taking their shows on the road and reaching new audiences.