VIDEO: Can Opera Be For Everyone? Welsh National Opera's Steve Speirs Dispels Opera Myths and More

Can Opera be for everyone? Steve Speirs (Alan in Stella) wasn't sure but since joining the Welsh National Opera company he wants to dispel the myth and encourage a new audience to experience opera. Check out what he's learned about opera in the video!

This autumn, Welsh National Opera return to Bristol Hippodrome with two Russian-themed operas which mark the centenary of the Russian Revolution. Performing from 15 - 18 November, the Company will bring its productions of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin and Janá?ek's From the House of the Dead, based on the book by Dostoevsky to the city. Alongside these are two performances of Johan Strauss's Die Fledermaus, in WNO's delightful production.

Eugine Onegin - Wed 15 Nov; 7.00pm

Opening the week is Eugene Onegin. Evoking the elegance of early 19th century St Petersburg alongside simple countryside settings, Eugene Onegin follows the cynical protagonist as he rejects the romantic advances of the young country girl Tatyana, before later coming to regret his actions and feeling the sting of rejection himself. Considered one of the greatest Russian operas, Tchaikovsky's music reflects the high society of the time and the yearnings of the heart with evocative arias, romantic choruses and luscious waltzes.

From the House of the Dead - Thu 16 Nov; 7.30pm

From the House of the Dead will be a revival of WNO's original 1982 production, this time in a new critical edition by musicologist John Tyrrell with performance suggestions by Charles Mackerras. Unfinished at the time of Janá?ek's death, this will be the first time that the opera will be performed in a version that is as close as possible to what Janá?ek intended. Telling the story of the inmates of a Siberian prison, the opera reflects their feelings of pain, oppression and injustice as each recount why they ended up in jail. Their gloom is eased as they painstakingly nurse an eagle back to health, which comes to symbolize both Russia and the notion of freedom.

Die Fledermaus - Fri 17 Nov; 7.15pm & Sat 18 Nov; 4.00pm

Die Fledermaus will transport audiences to early 1900s Vienna in a production that revels in the humour and frivolity of the story, and is full of opulence, fancy frocks and lavish detail. Featuring a rich and romantic score by Johan Strauss, we join the characters at a masquerade ball as a plot around mistaken identity unfolds. Die Fledermaus will be sung in English with translation by David Pountney and dialogue by John Copley. Joining the cast in the role of the jailer, Frosch, is Welsh actor Steve Speirs. Better known to some as Alan in the Sky One series Stella, Steve has appeared in TV shows including Extras, Doctor Who and Miranda, and has also appeared in feature films including Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

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