Opera in the Garden - The Windmill Inn - Portishead

Fullers ran these events the last 2 summers and they proved very popular so they are running them again. It's more accessible than you'd think, and the friendly cast were very chatty and friendly with the audience before and after the show. We can meet a little early if you fancy eating there too, we can discuss in the forum, the views look fantastic. The show this year is:

Carmen – fiery, daring and uncompromising – meets José, a soldier with a past…

In a new interpretation of this famous classic, Rogue Opera brings Carmen to life for a modern audience, sung in French with a new English script. Rogue Opera’s four singers and amazing pianist deliver a show with all of the well-known music and drama in an engaging and original format. As the story unfolds, we follow the four main protagonists; Carmen, Josè, Escamillo and Micaëla, along with Captain Moralès, and the gypsies Frasquita and Dancaïre. The characters share their motivations and inner thoughts with the audience, bringing a fresh perspective and making it a fantastic experience for both opera connoisseurs and newcomers alike.

Carmen lives a bohemian life, seeking freedom outside of the law. José, drawn to Carmen and this unconventional world, is torn between love, duty and honour. Micaëla, the loyal and pious village girl, finds strength and courage as she tries to bring Josè back from his outlaw’s life. The charismatic bullfighter Escamillo is infatuated with Carmen, recognising a kindred spirit, while Moralès, the captain, embodies everything that the gypsies, Frasquita and Dancaire are not. Set against some of the most recognisable music in opera, Carmen is a serious and still-relevant examination of the restrictions of societal stereotypes, obsessive love and the struggle of a spirited woman striving for independence and choice.