Details are now available for Opera 5’s double bill Suffragette featuring the works of Dame Ethel Smyth.  The show will feature two works; Fête Galante, a rather grim “dance dream”, in a somewhat Stravinskian style, and the feminist opera The Boatswain’s Mate, which makes extensive use of folksong tunes.  In her day Smythe tended to be written off by the critics for being too masculine so it will be interesting to see how the works have fared with time.

The cast features Sri Lankan tenor Asitha Tennekoon, mezzo-soprano Eugenia Dermentzis, soprano Alexandra Smither and tenor Kevin Myers. The show is being led by an all-women production team, headed by Opera 5 Production Manager and Stage Director, Jessica Derventzis (absolutely not to be confused with Dermentzis); Production Designer Erin Gerofsky; and Lighting Designer Jennifer Lennon. Evan Mitchell will conduct with a chamber orchestra performing composer-original reductions.

Suffragette will play at Theatre Passe Muraille, Mainspace – 16 Ryerson Ave, Toronto on June 22-24 at 7.30pm and June 25 at 6pm.

Tickets: At the door, online: www.opera5.ca/suffragettetix or phone: 416-504-7529.
More Info including complete cast and production team: www.opera5.ca/suffragette

Opera 5 have created some of the most interesting and innovative low budget opera in the city in the last few years so I would definitely recommend trying to see this show.