Scottish Opera
Scottish Opera delivers excellent productions locally in North East Scotland throughout the year, as well as throughout Scotland, broadly. Some of these are open-air, “pop-up” productions, delivered from a mobile, truck-mounted trailer stage, complete with musicians, in local parks and gardens. A wonderful recent event summarised Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” and “The Marriage of Figaro” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. These comic operas (“buffa”) were delivered in witty and delightful scenes in the grounds of Haddo House, a Scottish National Trust property set in well-managed gardens near Pitmedden, the village in which I live. The “pop up” productions we enjoyed were delivered by just two actors to bring the complex plots to life. Two musicians in the stage wings and a master of ceremonies, in costume, supported them with light and humorous touches that illuminated the sometimes quirky and tortuous story lines. This was much appreciated by the rather eclectic audience, most of whom were local people. Message – support the wonderful Scottish Opera!