Magic Butterfly: WNO launches virtual reality experience

Welsh National Opera is combining opera with virtual reality (VR) in an installation which opens on 14 July 2017. Magic Butterfly, a re-imagining of scenes from Madama Butterfly and The Magic Flute, will be presented inside a shipping container and will allow visitors to use Google Daydream technology – a mobile VR platform - to engage with the re-imagined world around them. The first time an opera company has used VR in this way.

Magic Butterfly features a WNO recording of 'Un bel di' with soprano Karah Son who recently sang the role of Cio Cio San in WNO’s production of Madam Butterfly. Audiences will also be able to experience lion taming to a recording of 'How soft, how strong your magic sound’ from The Magic Flute. Combining motion capture, animation, music and technology, Magic Butterfly, will create an immersive experience using responsive animation and sound.

Magic Butterfly opens outside Wales Millennium Centre on 14 July and will run for four weeks before touring to Llandudno, Birmingham and Liverpool during WNO’s Autumn season. Booking is not required, and the experience is free to visitors. The experience will also be presented in London at the V&A Museum in January 2018 as part of the V&A and Royal Opera’s Opera: Passion, Power and Politics exhibition. Further information from the WNO website.