Comedian and actor Chris Addison is to star in the Royal Opera House’s production of French opera L’Étoile from the 1st to the 24th February it has been announced.
Addison’s comic acting role, Smith, has been newly created by director Mariame Clément to provide stereotypical English commentary on events happening in the opera.
L’Étoile (The Star) is a comic fairytale that is a mixture of The 1,001 Nights and Monty Python and is being performed at the Royal Opera house for the first time. Its plot is designed to both delight an confuse audiences with its darkly humorous twists and turns.
Talking about joining the cast Addison said: “I am stupidly excited to be appearing at Covent Garden in L ‘Etoile, a production which combines two of my great loves: insanely beautiful opera and deep, joyful silliness.”
This first production of Chabrier’s comedy at Covent Garden will see Mark Elder conducting Mariame Clément’s production. As well as Addison, the cast will also include: Christophe Mortagne, Simon Bailey, François Piolino, Kate Lindsey and Jean-Luc Vincent.
Set on King Ouf I’s birthday, the king always celebrates with a public impalement and so has gone in disguise among his people to find a suitable victim. The forthright young pedlar Lazuli has just fallen in love with Princess Laoula (also in disguise) and is appalled to learn she is already betrothed, to Ouf. Unknowingly Lazuli insults Ouf, who thinks he has found his candidate…
L’Étoile will feature designs by Julia Hansen, lighting designed by Jon Clark and choreography by Mathieu Guilhaumon.
The opera arrives at the Royal Opera House from the 1st to the 24th February. To book tickets visit: UK Tickets.co.uk, Ticketmaster.co.uk, Theatre People.com, Discount Theatre.com, Love Theatre.com and Theatre Tickets Direct.co.uk.