GAS,The Ark, Temple Bar, Dublin Sat 5pm Adm free 01-6778899
Opera is in the air. The Arts Council is struggling with the funding of opera and its decision to ditch three existing organisations (Opera Ireland, Wexford Festival Opera and Opera Theatre Company) in favour of a single, new, national company from 2011. At the same time, partly because of project funding from the council, composers have been showing an almost unprecedented interest in the medium.
Brian Irvine's Dumbworldhad a workshop performance at the Pavilion Theatre last year, and Fergus Johnston's The Earl of Kildareat the Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray last February. A scene from Raymond Deane's The Arrival of the Doll was recorded with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra by RTÉ lyric fm, and the work was the subject of an Artszone programme in January.
Ian Wilson's Minskwas completed in 2006, and is awaiting a premiere. Siobhán Cleary is at work on an opera called Jack Ashore, Andrew Synnott is working on an as-yet unnamed opera with a libretto by John Breen. Conor Linehan is working on Quicksilver, based on the 1970s TV quiz show. And Gerald Barry has started work on The Importance of Being Earnest.
Beating them all hands down in terms of productivity is Derek Ball, who, since 2006, has written one six-act opera, one “short opera”, five chamber operas, a chamber opera-burlesque, and a miniature opera-burlesque.
Next up, however, is Donnacha Dennehy (pictured), whose opera-in- progress, GAS,gets a free airing within the Dublin Theatre Festival at 8 Hanover Quay on Saturday. Alan Pierson conducts the Crash Ensemble, Selina Cartmell directs, and the designer is Dick Bird.
