Author Roddy Doyle is no stranger to the world of music. After making a name for himself with a book about 'the world's hardest working (soul) band', The Committments, he later took a spin through the jazz clubs of Chicago in Oh, Play that Thing. Now he's turning his attention to Opera.
Roddy has begun work on a new translation of Mozart's Don Giovanni, which will receive its world premiere at the Dublin Theatre festival next year.
Full of seduction and intrigue, Don Giovanni tells the story of a wayward nobleman who finally meets his match. Opera Theatre Company has commissioned Doyle to bring a Dublin flavour to the new translation as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.
"It is a fascinating job, examining every line, every word - words that were written by Lorenzo Da Ponte, in Italian, in 1787, to accompany one-hundred and sixty-two minutes of music composed by a genius," said Doyle.
"I'm trying to stay faithful to the original words but I also want to ensure that the characters will seem to be singing in Dublin, today. It's a big job - but the music fills the day."
The new production will be directed by Gavin Quinn, Artistic Director of Pan Pan Theatre company, and will star Welsh baritone David Kempster in the title role. It will receive its world premiere at the Gaiety Theatre in September 2016, before travelling to the Cork Opera House.
