Talented Methody schoolboy and treble singer, Garbhan McEnoy, aged 11 from Belfast, will perform with award-winning company, Northern Ireland Opera this month, taking to the stage as ‘Miles’ in Benjamin Britten’s chilling opera, The Turn of The Screw, supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
Garbhan, who also sings with the choir at St Peter’s Cathedral, will have the rare chance to share the stage with the internationally acclaimed Belfast-born soprano, Giselle Allen, in performances at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, on 11th-12thMarch and Millennium Forum, Derry-Londonderry, on Tuesday 15th
March.
The Turn of the Screw is widely regarded as one of the finest operas by perhaps the greatest British composer. Scored for a small chamber orchestra and a cast of six, its haunting music and dramatic plot has also made it one of the most popular twentieth century operas, based on American author Henry James’ much-loved classic ghost story. After a hugely successful Northern Irish tour in 2012, this production of The Turn of the Screw toured to Buxton Festival and the Kolobov Novaya Theatre in Moscow, garnering praise from critics and the public along the way (“Not to be missed” – The Sunday Times) and now it is being revived and coming to stages in Belfast and Derry.
Giselle is regularly in demand with many major UK and European opera companies, and has performed in leading roles with companies as far away as Canada and Singapore. No stranger to the Northern Irish stage, Giselle has appeared with Northern Ireland Opera on several occasions, starring in the title roles of the 2011 Irish Times Theatre Award-winning production of Tosca in Derry-Londonderry, and 2015’s scandalous production of Salome at the Grand Opera House. Other appearances include The Flying Dutchman, NI Opera Shorts, and the original production of The Turn of the Screw in 2012.
Northern Ireland Opera’s Artistic Director, Oliver Mears, who will be directing the revival, said he is looking forward to re-exploring one of the company’s most successful productions: “It is a spell-binding opera”, he said. “Having received such great success on both a local and international level, it made perfect sense to bring this production back to Northern Ireland to give new and returning audiences alike the opportunity to see it for themselves”.
Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented: “Northern Ireland Opera is one of our best artistic companies whose work truly celebrates and champions the quality of our arts sector here both regionally, nationally and internationally. This is a fantastic opportunity for a young vocalist to perform alongside a more seasoned artist. It will be an experience which will stay with young Garbhan for years to come. Giselle is without doubt one of the finest sopranos working today and we’re very fortunate to have a singer of this calibre working in Northern Ireland. Her outstanding performances in Tosca in Derry in 2011 and Salome in Belfast in 2015 were talked about for a long time and I would encourage everyone to go along to enjoy this impressive production.”
Performances take place on 11-12 March at 7:45pm, Lyric Theatre, Belfast, www.lyrictheatre.co.uk
& 15 March at 7:30pm, Millennium Forum, Derry-Londonderry www.millenniumforum.co.uk
Tickets £20 (student tickets £15). Visit www.niopera.com