The cast in rehearsal

Barefoot returns with Rossini’s La Cenerentola

After the success of Bloom Britannia, Barefoot Opera returns to St Mary in the Castle to tell the tale of Cinderella – with added bling. Erica Smith sings the praises of this local company that brings high opera to the streets of Hastings.

On Friday 14 October, Barefoot Opera present this classic fairy tale with a sparkling twist… there is no fairy godmother, but there is a wicked stepfather… the glass slipper is replaced with a bracelet and the ugly stepsisters become a family trashing the earth’s resources…this is Gioachino Rossini’s La Cenerentola retold for the 21st century.

The seven professional singers in Cenerentola will be joined by students from Bexhill College and Hastings Academy and local choirs Voiceworks, Arts on Prescription and Seaview. As a locally-based company, Barefoot is committed to making opera part of the community and recognises Hastings as a ‘singing town’.

Co-director Jenny Miller is thrilled with the young professionals’ ‘ravishing’ singing and ‘witty’ acting. The singers will be joined by the tiny but brilliant Barefoot ‘band.’

This Cinderella updates the comedy, making  the ‘baddies’ callously indifferent to the environment and obsessed with social media influencers. The production itself is, though, what Jenny Miller calls an ‘eco-production’ making use of pre-loved pieces of set and costume.

The team includes Michael Spenceley (co-director) of the Ballet Rambert, Jane Bruce of Radiator Arts, and Natascha Stolle to give the production the multi-art, ensemble style which is Barefoot’s hallmark.

Tickets are available from the Barefoot Opera website. Under-15s go free if accompanied by an adult.

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