Wexford clutches opera to its heart

WHILE most of us were holidaying in August, in Wexford they were building the sets for this year’s Festival Opera.

By Sept 15, the chorus had arrived, with the artistic company following on Sept 23, and intensive rehearsals beginning for the 61st festival, which opens tomorrow and runs to Sunday, Nov 4.

“Each main opera takes turns rehearsing on the stage, thus requiring the sets to be assembled and disassembled for each production every other day,” says technical director, Dave Stuttard. “It can be quite challenging, but we are used to that in Wexford.”