Unexpected Opera’s condensed Wagner spectacular, The Rinse Cycle, will make its London premiere at the Charing Cross Theatre next month.
Taking the legendary opera composer’s iconic Ring Cycle – all four operas and 16 hours of music of it – Unexpected Opera’s light-hearted production shrinks the epic to just two hours, making it a perfectly digestible treat for anyone curious about Wagner or opera.
Promising “magnificent music, great drama and unexpected fun,” The Rinse Cycle will play at the Charing Cross Theatre from 15 February to 12 March.
Speaking about the potted opera’s aim, Unexpected Opera’s Artistic Director Lynn Binstock explained: “As well as conveying the crucial elements of the story and offering an experience of Wagner’s music at a high level of quality, I’d like to give the audience some feel for the magnitude, richness, intellectual reach, complexity and sheer awesomeness of the Ring and its composer.”
Following in the (massively edited) footsteps of London’s previous condensed hits including Potted Potter and the Reduced Shakespeare Company, The Rinse Cycle will bring the same cliff notes charm to opera and answer all the questions you’ve ever wondered about Wagner, from why people love The Ring Cycle so much to whether it does in fact have anything to do with The Lord Of The Rings…
The Rinse Cycle is directed by Binstock and features a cast of operatic talents including Anna Gregory, Mae Heydorn, Edward Hughes, Cara McHardy, Paul Reeves, Simon Thorpe, Justine Viani, Brian Smith Walters, Harriet Williams and Mari Wyn Williams.