Opera comes to council chamber
IN what he believes is a “first” for Bexhill, local councillor and music enthusiast Tony Mansi is planning to stage two performances of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, Trial By Jury, in the council chamber at Bexhill Town Hall.
The concerts will be staged at 5pm and 7pm on Saturday, March 24, to raise money for the Mayor of Bexhill’s charity - the Bexhill branch of the East Sussex Disabled Association.
The cast is a mix of professional and local performers under the direction of ex-Doyle Carte member Adam Hepkin. The musical director, Roy Gregory, is a member of The Royal Opera, Covent Garden.
It was to fulfil an urgent commission from Richard D’Oyly Carte in 1874 for a short work to follow Offenbach’s La Perichole at the Royalty Theatre in London that Trial By Jury was created, drawing on Gilbert’s short time as a barrister.
It concerns a breach of promise marriage suit and with Sullivan’s brother, Fred, the first to play the part of the learned judge, Trial By Jury was an instant hit and paved the way for many more Gilbert and Sullivan operas to come.
Tickets, costing £10 each and subject to limited availability, are available from the Mayor’s Office at the town hall, telephone 01424 787835, or from Cllr Mansi, telephone 01424 845715.
Cllr Mansi, an independent, of Hartfield Road, Bexhill, said: “I believe this will be something of a first for Bexhill, and I hope local people will support it and thereby boost the Mayor’s charity.”
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Weather for Bexhill-on-Sea
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 14 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
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