
Lanark set to stage opera production
Lanark will host a touring opera production this weekend as Tosca is staged at the memorial hall.
The performance by professional touring company Opera Bohemia takes place on Sunday, July 27, at 4pm and will star award-winning Lanarkshire soprano Monica McGhee in Puccini's famous 'tale of love, lust and deception'.
It is directed by Opera Bohemia co-founder Douglas Nairne, and the group say: 'The performance is being sung in English and in Douglas Nairne's intimate new production, the drama is plunged into a world of crime and passion amidst the treacherous mafia underworld.'
The tour is supported by Creative Scotland and the show is designed by acclaimed Scottish designer Kenneth McLeod.
Founded in 2010 by Douglas Nairne and conductor Alistair Digges, Opera Bohemia has since staged 14 different productions at venues across Scotland, providing performance opportunities for more than 150 young professional musicians and running free workshops for schools.
Opera Bohemia say: 'The company is excited to be returning to Lanark, having brought several of their productions to the Memorial Hall in the past.
'One of our main goals is to introduce opera to a new audience, as well as providing more live performances all round Scotland, and we hope this exciting new production of Tosca is just the ticket.'
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As Jassa gets more passionate in his point-making, his voice shakes, and the actor admits: 'I find it hard to balance my personal emotions with my rational union brain.' However, the reason behind it all is simple, he adds: 'These stories should be told because we should be reflecting the society we live in, so everyone feels seen.' More Trending As for Jassa himself, he's in a happy place and is focused on writing more books, spreading his message further to challenge misconceptions and making changes through his role in the union. As he gets set to cycle off to his next engagement, he says: 'Now that I feel I have found a sense of home within myself, I'm not craving it as much from performance. 'I am no longer content to quietly pass as white, I want to assert my Punjabi heritage. I want mixed people on screen as they are, not as ethnically ambiguous shapeshifters. 'Being a chameleon is part of the joy of being an actor, but I want to play with my true colours.' 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