The Festival Theatre is to present screenings of world class opera and ballet from the world’s most prestigious performing arts institutions.
The theatre will screen four performances from Europe’s leading stages as part of its Spring/Summer 2013 season. The first screening takes place on 13 February with Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco, live from La Scala, Milan. This is followed by Roland Petit’sacclaimed ballet Notre Dame de Paris, also from La Scala on 14 February, and two further Verdi operas, Falstaff from the Opéra National de Paris on 12 March, and Rigoletto from Taormina’s Ancient Greek Theatre on 9 July. Tickets for all screenings are available from 18 January 2013.
This is the first time the theatre has live streamed productions and represents an expansion of the venue’s cinema offering and further development of its wider programming aspirations. The theatre’s auditorium provides a unique viewing experience and is the largest digital cinema in Scotland. Productions will be shown via satellite link on an HD cinema screen.
The screen was first used at the Festival Theatre for the opening of the 2010 Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), showing The Illusionist. The theatre has since hosted a number of gala events and screenings as part of the EIFF, most notably last year’s UK premiere of the Disney Pixar hit Brave, and the simulcast of David Putnam’s Chariots of Fire, screened as part of the London 2012 Festival.
The live screenings have been programmed in conjunction with Rising Alternative, an international distributor of specialist digital content to cinemas, cultural centres and other public venues. The Festival Theatre is currently their only venue partner in Scotland. They programme from renowned stages around the world, including (in addition to those already mentioned) Nederlands Dans Theater, San Francisco Ballet and the Vienna State Opera.
Festival & King’s Theatre Chief Executive Duncan Hendry said:
‘The Festival Theatre is already an established venue for theatre, music, dance and opera. The addition of live screenings will extend and enrich our programming capability. We look forward to welcoming dance and opera fans to these upcoming events and look forward to developing our cinema programme further in future seasons.’
PHOTO courtesy of The Festival Theatre and the Edinburgh International Film Festival
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