'Theatre within theatre' - inside Wexford Festival Opera 2024

'A game within a game, a story within a story, a theatre within theatre...' Artistic Director of the Wexford Festival Opera since 2019, Rosetta Cucchi introduces this year's Festival programme.

Today, I'd like to have five minutes of your time to celebrate a timeless and enchanting world that has captivated hearts and minds for centuries—the game of the theatre. The theatre, a realm where imagination takes centre stage and stories come to life, is a magical space where the human experience is laid bare for all to witness.

The game of the theatre is a multifaceted gem that sparkles with creativity, passion, and the boundless potential of the human spirit. As the lights dim and the curtains rise, a portal to a different reality is opened—one where emotions are raw, stories are told, and characters are brought to life by the skillful hands and hearts of singers.

Imagine, if you will, a performance where the boundaries between reality and fiction blur, and the audience is transported not only into the world of the opera but also into the backstage drama that unfolds behind the scenes.

The stage is a canvas upon which the art of storytelling is painted with the vibrant hues of singing, emotion, and movement. It is a game that requires the perfect blend of skill, dedication, and teamwork. Each singer, dancer, conductor and director, contributes their unique essence to create a symphony of characters and narratives that resonate with audiences far and wide.

But the game of the theatre is not confined to the performers alone. Behind the scenes, a dedicated team of directors, designers, technicians, and countless others collaborate harmoniously to ensure the seamless execution of the production.

That is the reason why, Wexford Festival Opera and I invite you to embark on a journey into the mesmerizing realm of the "theatre within theatre."

Imagine, if you will, a performance where the boundaries between reality and fiction blur, and the audience is transported not only into the world of the opera but also into the backstage drama that unfolds behind the scenes. This theatrical inception, where one story unfolds within the framework of another, is a testament to the limitless creativity and ingenuity of the human imagination.

The three this year operas, Le Maschere by Mascagni, The Critic by Stanford and Le Convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali by Donizetti will reach perfectly the goal, because they challenge the audience to question the boundaries of reality and illusion, inviting them to consider the layers of meaning embedded within the narrative. The singers become characters within characters, blurring the lines between the performer and the performed, the scripted and the improvised.

So, the next time you find yourself in the hall of our theatre, be prepared for the magic not only to unfold on the stage but to permeate the very fabric of the theatrical experience itself—a game within a game, a story within a story, a theatre within theatre.

Wexford Festival Opera runs from 18th Oct - 2nd Nov 2024. General booking for this year's festival opens on 8th May - find out more here.