Iris Dreaming
IRIS DREAMING
Music by Gillian Whitehead
Libretto by Fleur Adcock
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World Premiere - 23rd and 24th August 2016
Grimeborn Festival at the Arcola Theatre
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NZ Premiere - 6th February 2017
Adam Chamber Music Festival, Theatre Royal
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In 2015, Joanne Roughton-Arnold commissioned Gillian Whitehead and Fleur Adcock to write Iris Dreaming, a one-woman chamber opera based on the life of celebrated NZ writer and feminist, Iris Wilkinson. She performed and produced the world première as part of the 2016 Grimeborn Festival at London’s Arcola Theatre, with Sara Brodie directing and Jonathan Hargreaves conducting the Octandre Ensemble. In February 2017 she gave the New Zealand premiere of Iris Dreaming in partnership with NZTrio in a special adaptation for Nelson’s prestigious Adam Chamber Music Festival, later broadcast by Radio NZ (link here).
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Director - SARA BRODIE
Conductor - JONATHAN HARGREAVES
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Iris - JOANNE ROUGHTON-ARNOLD
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Ensemble for World Premiere - OCTANDRE ENSEMBLE
Reduced ensemble for the NZ Premiere - NZ TRIO
"An unforgettable premiere... A superb operatic performance that deserves to be repeated throughout New Zealand."
Margaret Hannigan, Nelson Mail
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