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Youth boost to G & S festival
YOUNG people are to take centre stage for five days this summer as part of the 17th International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival.
The new five-day Youth Festival will take place between July 26 and July 30 - providing the perfect prelude for the main festival, which runs from July 31 to August 21.
Outstanding youth groups will be travelling from Kent, Liverpool, Yorkshire, East Midlands and Northern Ireland to compete in the mini-festival in the Opera House offering a fantastic opportunity and experience for more than 250 enthusiastic and talented youngsters.
"Young people are our future," said Festival Chairman Ian Smith. "Let's get them on board and let's show them the joy and sense of achievement that can be gained from taking part in such an exciting venture in such a wonderful setting.
"To encourage schools and youth groups to begin their G&S journey, we plan to give away 25% of the Opera House seats free of charge to encourage the under-18s to come and see for themselves."
Over the course of 28 days, G&S fans will be treated to 33 full-scale productions including more shows than ever from the Festival's own highly acclaimed Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, who will present three brand new productions – Iolanthe, The Mikado (in honour of its 125th anniversary) and The Yeomen of the Guard.
Charles Court Opera return with performances of HMS Pinafore and The Zoo – without doubt one of the highlights of the entire festival in 2009 – and Opera della Luna return with their highly original and very amusing HMS Pinafore and Parson's Pirates.
Performing for the first time in Buxton are Plymouth G&S Fellowship with Ruddigore, and New Lyric Operatic Company, Northern Ireland, with The Pirates of Penzance.
The Opera House programme is completed by performances from some of the UK's leading companies whose presence in Buxton always guarantees a full house, including: Peak Opera, South Anglia, SavoyNet Performing Group, Oxford University G&S Society and Derby G&S.
Over 75 fringe events ensure non-stop Gilbert & Sullivan from dawn till dusk
And before the excitement even begins in Buxton, the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival is sailing into Gettysburg, USA, on June 20 for a week-long celebration as part of the prestigious Gettysburg Festival.
Liverpool Theatre School with their production of The Pirates of Penzance, Derby G&S Society with The Mikado and the professional opera company, Opera della Luna will join performers from across the USA to present a week-long feast of G & S performing in Gettysburg's historic Majestic Theatre.
"We are honoured and delighted to have been selected as the main theatrical feature of this year's Gettysburg Festival and hope it will be the start of a long and mutually beneficial relationship," said Mr Smith.
For more information, visit www.gs-festival.co.uk.
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Weather for Buxton
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: -4 C to 0 C
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