Waiting for Godot meets Lulu for the post-truth generation - Alistair White's Wear

The young composer Alistair White is having a busy moment, his opera ROBE recently premiered at Tête à Tête [see my review], and now his 2018 opera Wear returns for its first fully staged production on 23 and 24 August 2019 at the Opera in the City Festival at the Bridewell Theatre.

Like ROBE, Wear is futuristic, set in a society where use of the time machine has unwoven the fabric of reality. Whilst the piece is fantasy, White (who also wrote the libretto) feels that it has relevance to today, 'Sure, its fantasy, but you’ve seen the news - the world is actually ending. It is vital we find ways to defy, to resist this, to reclaim our ability to change things for the better. I think it all starts with perception: how we remember the past, and visualise the future.'

The focus of Wear fashion, its setting is the final show of a fashion designer and as space-time unravels around the designer and a friend are 'thrown into a collage of passion, recollection and dream - until all that is left are the objects they created'.

The opera is described as Waiting for Godot meets Lulu for the post-truth generation.

The production promises to be immersive, with designed garments both on mannequins and on performers, as well as original textiles as set dressing. The production's designer, Derek Lawlor has worked for both the Royal Ballet and London Fashion Week, and the production will be celebrating 10 years of his work with a post-show event on 24 August.

Directed by Gemma Williams and Alistair White, the production features Kelly Poukens, Patricia Auchterlonie, Susan Parkes with Ben Smith on piano.

Full details from the Opera in the City website.