Michael Mayes Will Come to Theatre Of Sound With BLUEBEARD'S CASTLE

Baritone Michael Mayes returns to London in November to sing the title role in Bela Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle with new opera company Theatre of Sound. He shares the role with bass-baritone Gerald Finley in alternate performances, with sopranos Susan Bullock and Gweneth Ann Rand sharing the role of Judith. A co-production with Opera Ventures presented in partnership with Stone Nest - a stunning former Welsh chapel in the heart of London's West End - this reimagined production presents the work as a love story between a long-married couple facing the challenges of living with dementia. Co-director of Theatre of Sound, Stephen Higgins, will conduct the London Sinfonietta, playing a new chamber orchestration.

This production brings Mayes back to London after his acclaimed debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican for his portrayal of the title role in Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking in 2018. Multiple reviews unanimously lauded his performance, including Bachtrack's review, which hailed Michael Mayes as "nothing short of sensational. Physically, he looked the part - a big man, the precise image of the casual murderer of your nightmares. The voice matches the size of the man, with giant reserves of power in a baritone of exceptional versatility."

Inspired by the themes of Theatre of Sound's unique reimagining of one of opera's great masterpieces and in collaboration with Rare Dementia Support, Live Music Now and London Sinfonietta, a creative participation programme runs alongside the opera production. Judith's Castle will see award-winning composer Electra Perivolaris working with families living with dementia to create new pieces of music drawn from their stories, experiences and musical memories. These works will have their world premieres this autumn, at 2pm on Saturday 6 November and Saturday 13 November in relaxed performances on the set of the opera at Stone Nest, performed by Mayes, Gweneth Ann Rand and musicians from the London Sinfonietta and Live Music Now.

Mayes expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration: "Bluebeard is a role that I have wanted to sing for quite a while, and the chance to step into this character in this unique and meaningful way is a special opportunity. My greatest passion is what I call 'opera with a conscience,' when gripping theater and soaring music coalesce to tell real-life stories that make the world a better place. Theatre of Sound is doing something important with this opera, and I'm grateful to be a part of it."

Full information for the Theatre of Sound production of Bluebeard's Castle and Judith's Castle is available at https://www.theatreofsound.org/