Opera di Peroni
Beer + culture = happy times.
Review
Itchy was delighted to be invited to experience a "re-imagining of Italian opera", sponsored by Peroni. Located in a marquee near Regents Park, the bar
set up inside felt modern, and as the audience looked around wondering
where exactly the opera would take place, the beer on offer provided
much enjoyment during the wait. No stage was revealed as the performance took
place within and around the audience, with stars rushing through
slightly sozzled audience members, using even the bar itself as a
podium for their vocals. The first scene was, fittingly, a drunken night
out - a new take on a scene from La Traviata. Unsurprisingly the stars
were even clutching Peroni’s distinctive green bottles as they wove the
story, and with unsubtle promotion even the lyrics seemed to promote an
agenda: “Will you still feel this way in the morning?” “Who cares, just
drink and have fun!” The very brief opening set closed and the stars
moved around within the crowd as another long spell of drinking began.
Therein is the slight misdirection in the description of the event. The evening was about 10% opera and 90% Peroni. The bar was fantastic, the beer was (thankfully) a popular favourite, and the breaks for entertainment, as well as the mingling with the stars in a truly interactive setting, all make for a brilliant re-imagining of a bar, but not perhaps opera. The intermingling of contemporary electronic sounds and classic opera is worthy of applause for its creator Kwes, but the scenes are very brief and those expecting a full night at the opera will be disappointed. Indeed many of the audience members could be seen curiously wondering ‘Is it over…?’ as the brief scenes came to a close. However, those who just wish to add something new to their regular nights out should certainly give this night a try. At only £7.50 for a ticket, it is not an unreasonable price to add a manner of excitement to your night. As the stars at the next table sip Peroni between the scenes, you feel as if you are unsure when or where it will start (which does make one slightly unwilling to take toilet breaks; unfortunate given all the beer…) Itchy found the whole thing rather exciting, and we think it certainly beats another night at your local.
Visit the Opera di Peroni website for dates, locations and tickets. Performances will take place in Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow over the summer.
Fiona Evans
Therein is the slight misdirection in the description of the event. The evening was about 10% opera and 90% Peroni. The bar was fantastic, the beer was (thankfully) a popular favourite, and the breaks for entertainment, as well as the mingling with the stars in a truly interactive setting, all make for a brilliant re-imagining of a bar, but not perhaps opera. The intermingling of contemporary electronic sounds and classic opera is worthy of applause for its creator Kwes, but the scenes are very brief and those expecting a full night at the opera will be disappointed. Indeed many of the audience members could be seen curiously wondering ‘Is it over…?’ as the brief scenes came to a close. However, those who just wish to add something new to their regular nights out should certainly give this night a try. At only £7.50 for a ticket, it is not an unreasonable price to add a manner of excitement to your night. As the stars at the next table sip Peroni between the scenes, you feel as if you are unsure when or where it will start (which does make one slightly unwilling to take toilet breaks; unfortunate given all the beer…) Itchy found the whole thing rather exciting, and we think it certainly beats another night at your local.
Visit the Opera di Peroni website for dates, locations and tickets. Performances will take place in Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow over the summer.
Fiona Evans
