Are opera company tribute bands playing to a diminishing audience?

How to balance originality with tradition? Merry Opera tries to tackle this with its opera revue Eat, Drink, Love! which is coming to Beccles Public Hall on Saturday, March 4.

Merry Opera has performed at the hall before with its productions of Kiss me, Figaro!, The Barber of Seville and La bohéme.

Director Matthew Quirk was asked why an opera revue rather than a well-known favourite? Surely it’s a bit of a risk to do a show that people won’t recognise?

He said: “It’s always a risk, but as our trustees say: ‘We cannot be a tribute band playing old favourites to a diminishing audience. We have to widen the audience for opera and give everyone a good night out.”

The director of this show, John Ramster, directed the Barber of Seville at the Public Hall and wrote and directed their previous revue, Kiss me, Figaro! which ran in London for three weeks before touring the south.

As for this production: Eat, Drink, Love! is a musical celebration of human appetites – for drink, for food and even for each other, spiced with a dash of Merry Opera sauciness. With favourite operatic pieces, lesser known gems and deliciously delightful 1920s cabaret songs, they will bring musical (and other) jokes to connoisseurs while helping newbies discover the beauty of classical music and live performance.

Buried among the lust, jealousy, comedy, murder and other manias found in the plots of opera there are many moments when food and drink take centre stage. As Mr Ramster says: “If music be the food of love, play on, and if music be the love of food then play on as well! We hope the audience will go home afterwards feeling warm and satisfied.”

Doors will open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

Tickets cost £10 or £9 for concessions.

To book, visit the box office open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 3pm, call 01502 770060 or visit www.becclespublichall.com

And don’t miss tomorrow - Kent DuChaine and Leadbessie for a Delta Blues Night with support from Owl and Wolves.