Roll up for the BIF Roadshow’s magical mystery tour

Stars more used to singing in the world’s leading opera houses will soon be performing at Stockport Plaza on Wednesday, March 13, as Buxton International Festival (BIF) takes a taste of its 40th anniversary programme on the road.

BIF is bringing the glitz and glamour of opera right to your doorstep in a rolling roadshow which will stop at venues in the Peak District and Derbyshire Dales with a grand finale in Buxton’s newly-restored Octagon.

“It’s a magical tour aimed at taking the mystery out of opera,” said Festival Chief Executive Michael Williams.

“So if you’ve never seen opera, now’s the chance to sample the excitement of an art form which across the rest of Europe is a way of life – and all for the price of a glass of prosecco.”

Other venues include community halls, an arts centre and even a museum as the Festival takes it music to the people — all for just a fiver.

Musicians include members of the Royal Northern College of Music and the Northern Chamber Orchestra who will present excerpts from favourites such as Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals as well as accompanying members of the BIF opera company in arias selected from the 2019 programme.

“Opera is now more varied than ever and BIF celebrates this by staging a fiery world premiere, a renowned Russian romance, a dazzling rediscovery, and a popular unpretentious romp,” said Michael.

“We want to share the excitement which is building up as we get ready to celebrate our 40th anniversary, and the Roadshow will feature arias from our new opera based on the life and loves of Georgiana, Fifth Duchess of Devonshire; music from Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular Eugene Onegin and songs from Offenbach’s racy opera Orpheus in the Underworld, which gave us the Can-Can.”

The Roadshow programme, which is being supported by the University of Derby, will also include a preview of the 2019 music and book series, which will bring big names such as author Melvyn Bragg, the BBC’s Nick Robinson and TV historian Lucy Worsley to town.

And it all culminates in The End of the Road Show on April 4 in Buxton’s newly-restored Octagon.

Tickets for the BIF Roadshow on Wednesday 13th March from 7pm to 8pm: Stockport Plaza can be booked by calling: 01298 70395 or Book On Line on the Forthcoming Attractions section of this web site.