5,4,3,2,1…Captain Houston and Lieutenant Schmidt are counting down to take off, but something goes horribly wrong! Join Welsh company, Operasonic, on a newly commissioned opera for children, as Captain Houston and Lieutenant Schmidt go on an intergalactic, time-travelling adventure through the history of transport. Vehicles will be touring to The Riverfront, Newport and The Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot, this March.
On their operatic voyage, Captain Houston and Lieutenant Schmidt travel back in time and see cars, lorries, bikes, balloons and boats from their amazing spaceship. Performed by live singer / musicians on stage, audiences will experience how transport developed throughout history.
As well as family performances, there will be a school’s performance in Newport and Didcot, and an additional relaxed performance in Didcot.
Based in Newport, Operasonic has joined forces with composer Martyn Harry to create a fun show ideal for parents and grandparents who want to take younger families to the opera for the first time. Operasonic is committed to making projects and performances that inspire young people through opera. In 2018 Operasonic were shortlisted in the PRS Music Awards for their work on the young people’s project Newport Legends.
Artistic Director, Rhian Hutchings said,
“Opera is the perfect for this age group! Music, spaceships, cars and hot air balloons – Vehicles has it all. The production is a lot of fun and will really capture the imagination of young people, as well as adults.”
Martyn Harry is passionate about creating musical experiences for children. Martyn said,
“I began the journey of making Vehicles in the classroom with a group of young people whose parents worked in car factories in Oxford and Ellesmere Port. It was great to see how excited they were by the idea of transport, and how things came together to create a new show. It’s a subject that relates both to the school curriculum and to STEAM education, but above all, Vehicles is a thrilling spectacle with exciting music that will energise young audiences.”
Martyn’s music for children is a core part of the research that he does as professor of composition at Oxford University, with affiliations to St Anne’s and St Hilda’s Colleges. This Vehicles production has been supported with funding from University of Oxford’s John Fell Fund and its TORCH research centre.
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Vehicles will be at The Riverfront, Newport on Tuesday 3 March, 1pm and 6.30pm and Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot on 25 March, 11am (Schools), 1.30pm (Relaxed Performance) and 6.30pm. Running time is 1 hour. Ideal for ages 6-12-year olds and their families. For further information please visit tickets.newportlive.co.uk/ or http://www.cornerstone-arts.org/