Jubilee year opens with acclaimed guest production

2016 is an anniversary year for Drottningholms Slottsteater. The theatre turns 250 years old, and will open its celebrations with a guest production at the Opéra Royal de Versailles in Paris on 15-17 January. Making its appearance on one of the opera world’s most prestigious stages will be this summer’s acclaimed production of The Marriage of Figaro, conducted by Marc Minkowski. The star conductor will be returning to Drottningholms Slottsteater in the jubilee year for a production of Don Giovanni.

Drottningholms Slottsteater is one of Sweden’s greatest cultural treasures, and in its time was a masterpiece of innovative and advanced technology. It still makes full use of its original machinery and décor to this day. The theatre will be celebrating its anniversary with two world-class opera premieres: the newly written Rococo Machine and Mozart’s Don Giovanni. The remainder of the jubilee programme will be announced in March.

From one historical theatre to another The production of The Marriage of Figaro, which is soon to have its guest staging at the Opéra Royal de Versailles, was performed at Drottningholms Slottsteater in August 2015. This marked the beginning of a three-year collaboration between the theatre and the world-famous conductor Marc Minkowski and his French team on the production of Mozart’s “Da Ponte trilogy” (The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte). Besides Minkowski, the team comprises director Ivan Alexandre and production designer Antoine Fontaine. The Marriage of Figaro was praised by critics and audiences alike when it was performed in Sweden.

“It’s wonderful to be able to introduce the world to this magnificent production,” says theatre director Sofi Lerström. “Being invited to Versailles proves that our committed approach to choosing the right artistic team and first-rate singers paid off.”

The entire trilogy is designed to facilitate tours to other opera houses with one and the same stage set playfully reproducing a stage within a stage. Starting with the Versailles production in January 2016, Drottningholms Slottsteater plans extended guest production activities for the coming years.

The Opéra Royal de Versailles is housed in one of the wings of the palace, and was opened in 1770. Like Drottningholms Slottsteater, it is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list and is the scene of world-class opera productions.

The Marriage of Figaro Guest production by Drottningholms Slottsteater at the Opéra Royal de Versailles in association with Les Musiciens du Louvre
Performances on 15-17 January 2016Conductor: Marc Minkowski
Director: Ivan Alexandre
Production and costume design: Antoine FontaineCast: Florian Sempey, Ana Maria Labin, Lenneke Ruiten, Robert Gleadow, Ingeborg Gillebo, Miriam Treichl, Paolo Battaglia, Anders J Dahlin and Hanna Husáhr

The Rococo Machine
Premiere 7 June at Drottningholms Slottsteater
Performances on 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 19 June 2016 Music: Jan Sandström
Libretto: Tuvalisa Rangström
Director: Stina Ancker Costumes: Kajsa Larsson Choreography: Dorte Olesen Production design: Peter Astor Ögren
Conductor: David Stern
Cast: Loa Falkman, Elisabeth Meyer, Kerstin Avemo, Matilda Paulsson, Martin Vanberg and Johan Schinkler plus dancers.
The Drottningholmsteatern orchestra. The Rococo Machine is an anniversary gift to Drottningholmsteatern commissioned and financed by the Friends of Drottningholmsteatern.

Don Giovanni
Premiere 13 August at Drottningholms Slottsteater
Performances on 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 and 27 August
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte
Conductor: Marc Minkowski Director: Ivan Alexandre
Production and costume design: Antoine Fontaine
Cast: Robert Gleadow, Jean-Sébastien Bou, Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Krzysztof Baczyk, Ana Maria Labin, Léa Trommenschlager and Chiara Skerath Choir and the Drottningholmsteatern orchestra.

For further details or interviews, contact: Elin West, press officer, Drottningholms Slottsteater, 0733 50 26 25, elin.west@dtm.se

For further details about the theatre or the jubilee year, contact: Sofi Lerström, director, Drottningholms Slottsteater, 076-773 33 31, sofi.lerström@dtm.se