One Minute World Arts- The Practice of #Sustainability: Handel’s Alcina by Opera North
Presented by #OperaNorth this year, George Frideric Handel’s magic opera #Alcina is now on tour in the UK. The story centers upon an island, where a beautiful sorceress, Alcina, turns her discarded lovers into rocks, tress, or animals. However, as her witchcraft begins to fail, the island’s illusory beauty also dissolves into nothingness gradually.
Opera North’s new production of Alcina was planned 2 or 3 years ago, and then twice postponed due to the #pandemic. While creating Alcina, the company’s production approaches have been guided by the environment-friendly principles highlighted in the #TheatreGreenBook, a three-volume document designed to promote and revolutionize “sustainability” in the industry. The production’s #costumes and sets are designed by Hannah Clark and made by #reusing existing stock or #second-hand materials, following the core spirit of recycling. “Opera is slightly different to theatre companies, because when we build scenery or make costumes, we plan for them to be in the rep for 15 or 20 years. So if you look at the baseline of the Green Book, we’re already thinking in a lot of those ways.” So said Kieron Docherty, the technical and production director of the company. “Its guidelines are helping us move forward,” he added.
Opera North’s Alcina is now on tour in the UK, going from #LeedsGrandTheater, #TheLowry in Salford, to #TheatresRoyal Nottingham and Newcastle.
#永續劇場 的實踐: 歌劇《阿爾席娜》（Alcina）
#韓德爾（George Frideric Handel）的魔幻歌劇《#阿爾席娜》，今年（2022）由英國 #北方歌劇團（Opera North）重新演繹，並展開巡演。《阿爾席娜》的故事圍繞著一座島而衍生，島上美麗的的女巫師阿爾席娜將每一位她所拋棄的情人變成動物、樹木或石頭，但當她的魔法逐漸失效，島上一切虛幻景物也隨之消逝。
事實上，這齣歌劇早在2-3年前便已著手規劃，但因不敵疫情作梗而兩度延宕。今年，為了再現這部經典 #歌劇，北方歌劇院特意遵循著英國「#劇場綠皮書」（Theatre Green Book)所標誌的永續精神來製作：舞台與服裝設計由漢娜・克拉克（Hannah Clark）操刀，依照綠皮書中 #回收、#再造 的準則，以倉儲現有或二手購得的景片、物件來翻新完成。該團的技術與製作總監基倫・杜查堤（Kieron Docherty）表示：歌劇與一般戲劇的差別在於，多數歌劇的布景與服裝在被製作出來時，就已經考量到往後15到20年間 #再利用的可能性；換句話說，對歌劇製作而言，「#永續」 的概念早在劇場綠皮書出版前，就已經存在了。不過，他也強調：「劇場綠皮書的出現，讓我們的思考更具前瞻性。」
北方歌劇團的《阿爾席娜》目前正在里茲大劇院演出，之後將巡演至洛利藝術中心（The Lowry）、諾丁罕皇家劇院與紐卡索皇家劇院等地。
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Photo Credit: James Glossop