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UID:event-974@mulch.info
DTSTAMP:20260924T183229Z
DTSTART:20261003T133000Z
DTEND:20261003T173000Z
SUMMARY:Ecstasy of the Virtues
DESCRIPTION:A new mystery opera by Nwando Ebizie. Multisensory experimental
  opera. Blending singing\, live instruments\, electronic sounds\, dance\, 
 light\, water\, scent and taste\, this interactive opera creates a secular
  devotional space\, in which audience and performers embark on a shared pi
 lgrimage of self-love and transformation. Award-winning composer\, directo
 r and librettist Nwando Ebizie reimagines Hildegard's 1151 mystery play Or
 do Virtutum through her lens as a neurodivergent Afrofabulist\, drawing on
  influences as diverse as West African and Caribbean ceremonial music\, me
 dieval mystery plays\, Downtown New York minimalism and Toni Morrison's Be
 loved to create a total artwork where every element serves a transportive\
 , multisensory experience. Ecstasy of the Virtues radically updates Hildeg
 ard's allegorical Virtues – following the Soul's journey to heaven – f
 or the 21st century. The Devil\, rather than a flattened Christian caricat
 ure of "evil"\, becomes the trickster spirit Self-Loathing\, exploring how
  the things which are pushed into the shadows can end up dominating us\, a
 nd what is possible when feared and reviled parts of ourselves are brought
  into the light. Nwando directs an exceptional creative team and cast of 1
 2 performers\, from opera\, contemporary dance\, theatrical BSL\, experime
 ntal music\, jazz and gospel\, to lead the audience on a journey from inti
 macy to ecstasy\, in a ritual of transformative feminine power. Ecstasy of
  the Virtues premieres at Stone Nest\, an iconic former Welsh chapel in th
 e heart of London's West End\, followed by performances at Howard Assembly
  Room\, Leeds and Barrow Town Hall. The production will respond to the dis
 tinctive architecture of each venue to stage a mesmerising and inclusive e
 xperience for audiences. As a disabled-led production\, creative accessibi
 lity\, theatrical signing\, creative captions and a relaxed feel have been
  embedded into the piece since its gestation. Commissioned and produced by
  Mahogany Opera. In partnership with: Stone Nest\, Opera North and Full of
  Noises. Supported by: Arts Council England\, Jerwood Foundation\, Hinrich
 sen Foundation\, PRS Foundation and Cockayne Grants for the Arts\, a Donor
  Advised Fund\, held at The Prism Charitable Trust.\n\nDetails and tickets
 : https://mulch.info/events/ecstasy-of-the-virtues-2026-974
LOCATION:Howard Assembly Room\, The Grand Theatre\, Leeds\, LS1 6NZ
URL:https://mulch.info/events/ecstasy-of-the-virtues-2026-974
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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