A PASSIONATE tale from the snows of Russia has been warmed up for a Sixties setting, as OperaUpClose adds a near contemporary swing to Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin.

The original tale, by the poet Alexander Pushkin, is a story of thwarted desire and missed opportunities.

But the good news is, the production has a date at Malvern Theatres.

A spokesman said: “Following their critically-acclaimed five-week run at London’s Arcola Theatre, Olivier Award-winning OperaUpClose launch the 2018 UK tour of Tchaikovksy’s Eugene Onegin.

“This new English version by Robin Norton-Hale transposes the story of Tatyana’s sexual awakening to the early 1960s, a world on the cusp of the women’s liberation movement when new thinking fought against the old ways.

“Infatuation and self-restraint do battle in a well-tailored world of sleek suits and full skirts, with seasonal allusions to the snow-swept Russian landscape of the original story.”

The spokesman added: “Directed by Lucy Bradley and musically directed from the piano by rising star Sonia Ben Santamaria and designed by Rosanna Vize, this is a coming-of-age story, a requiem for lost innocence and triumphant celebration of hard-won independence – told through some of the most glorious music ever written.”

Robin Norton-Hale added: “It’s been thrilling to work on this feminist re-telling of this rich, complex opera with such a talented team.

“As Tchaikovsky himself identified strongly with Tatyana, and many opera-lovers agree the opera could have been called after its female protagonist, we feel this is a timely re-examination of this wonderful piece”.

Eugene Onegin is performed by ten singers and four instrumentalists in a new orchestration for piano, cello, violin and woodwind by Alison Holford .

The date for the diary is Saturday June 2.

http://www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/eugene-onegin/