One Man Opera extends Puccini’s iconic tale of love

Hurstpierpoint-based performer and producer Ignacio Jarquin is the man behind Madam Butterfly: The One Man Opera (Hawth Studio, Crawley, October 18, 7.45pm).
Picture by Matthew AndrewsPicture by Matthew Andrews
Picture by Matthew Andrews

Combining the scale and passion of opera with the intimacy of a one-man show, Ignacio draws upon traditional Japanese storytelling, dance and masks. The production extends the iconic Puccini story and focuses on the crisis unfolding onstage between son and absent father with Butterfly being an inevitable presence in their struggle.

Fast forward 30 years from the end of Puccini’s iconic opera, Tomisaburo, Butterfly’s son has travelled to America to meet his father for the first time. However, former US naval officer Pinkerton is now Governor of Atlanta and in the middle of an election.

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“Purity of race and Christian family values” is his bill. The last thing he needs, in ’30s America, is the arrival of his illegitimate mixed-race son. On a journey of self-discovery, Tomisaburo learns the true nature of his parents’ marriage, his mother’s death and questions whether his father will reject or embrace him.

Madam Butterfly: The One Man Opera has a new score by Michael Finnissy, who uses quotes from Puccini’s music to create a recognisable link to the opera.

Tickets on 01293 553636 or book online at www.hawth.co.uk.

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