Pop-Up Opera return this autumn with a reimagining of Bizet’s famous masterpiece La Tragédie de Carmen. In 1981 Peter Brook collaborated with composer Marius Constant to reimagine this emotive opera and, now, Pop-Up Opera will stage this stripped back incarnation. Sung in French with Pop-Up Opera’s signature ‘silent movie’ captions in English, this dark and thrilling piece may not always be as you expect.

Pop-Up Opera’s retelling of this intense and tragic tale follows the four key multi-faceted characters in a thought-provoking drama of unhinged love and jealousy. Actions are not without consequences and the stark reality of the repercussions for Don José are laid bare as the story unfolds in a series of his tormented flashbacks.

Pop-Up Opera continue to challenge the perception of opera and bring it to the next generation. With their combination of unique venues and cast of outstanding singers, this innovative opera company consistently capture the essence of this incredible refined and raw art form. Peter Brook’s fascinating and experimental ethos perfectly complements Pop-Up Opera’s passionate approach to staging relevant and exhilarating opera.

Director John Wilkie comments, Peter Brook’s incarnation of Prosper Merimee’s Carmen has fascinated me for many years - everything is trimmed away from the grander adaptations with which many are accustomed to focus on the intense interaction, the tragedy of the four protagonists. This production will be set at the end of the Spanish Civil War and we will investigate the psychological elements that lie at the heart of this retelling of Carmen’s tale. I am immensely looking forward to bringing life to La Tragédie de Carmen with this very exciting team.

If Pop-Up Opera pops up near you, do pop in.

Tour Dates

Sat 22^nd Sept Court Gardens Farm, East Sussex, 7.30pm

Orchard Lane, Ditchling, Hassocks BN6 8TH

Tues 25^th Sept Asylum Peckham, 7pm

Caroline Gardens Chapel, Asylum Road, London SE15 2SQ

Weds 26^th Sept Brunel Museum, Thames Tunnel Shaft, 7.30pm

Railway Ave, London SE16 4LF

Sat 29^th Sept Vera Fletcher Hall, Surrey, 7.30pm

4 Embercourt Road, Thames Ditton KT7 0LQ

Sun 30^th Sept East Finchley Arts Festival, London, 6pm

Durham Road, London N2 9DP

Tues 2^nd – Weds 3^rd Oct Minack Theatre, Penzance, Cornwall, 7.30pm

Porthcurno, Penzance TR19 6JU

Fri 5^th Oct The Subscription Rooms, Gloucestershire, 7.30pm

George Street, Stroud GL5 1AE

Tues 9^th Oct Ugly Duck, Bermondsey, 7.30pm

49 Tanner Street, London SE1 3PL

Thurs 11^th Oct NSPCC at Hope Church Islington, London, 7.30pm

Westbourne Road, London N7 8AB

Sat 13^th Oct Beaulieu Abbey, Hampshire, 7pm

Palace Lane, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst SO42 7YG

Sun 14^th Oct Farrington Hall, Port Regis School, Dorset, 6pm – TBC

Motcombe Park, Shaftesbury SP7 9QA

Thurs 18^th Oct Bath Assembly Rooms, 7.30pm

Bennett Street, Bath BA1 2QH

Sat 20^th Oct Black Mountains Barns, Herefordshire, 7.30pm

Lower Hunthouse Lane, Longtown, Hereford HR2 0PD

Sun 21^st Oct Breast Cancer Haven at Lyde Court, Herefordshire, 7.30pm

Lower Lyde, Hereford HR1 3AE

Weds 24^th Oct Masonic Temple, Andaz Hotel, London, 7.30pm

40 Liverpool Street, London EC2M 7QN

Thurs 25^th Oct South Downs Centre Memorial Hall, West Sussex, 7.30pm

North Street, Midhurst GU29 9DH

Sat 27^th Oct Anne of Cleves Barn, Essex, 8pm

Braintree Road, Great Bardfield, CM7 4QD

Sat 4^th Nov Court Gardens Farm, East Sussex, 7.30pm

Orchard Lane, Ditchling, Hassocks BN6 8TH

Sat 10^th Nov Lancaster Brewery – TBC

Lancaster Leisure Park, Wyresdale Road, Lancaster LA1 3LA

Fri 16^th Nov Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, 7.30pm

Storey’s Way, Cambridge CB3 0DG

Sat 17^th Nov Lourdes Hall, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, 7.30pm

Southdown Road, Harpenden AL5 1PF

Tues 20^th Nov Water & Steam, Kew, 7.30pm

Green Dragon Lane, Brentford TW8 0EN

Fri 23^rd Nov Grittleton Village Hall, Wiltshire, 8pm

Wiltshire SN14 6AP