The Magic Flute, Cokethorpe Opera Festival

The Magic Flute with live performance illustrator!

A young man with a passion for books reads about a magical kingdom where ‘day’ and ‘night’ wage war against each other.  As he reads he is consumed by the story, so much so that he realises that he has fallen into his own fantasy world.  He meets the Queen of the Night and her mortal enemy, the leader of the Sun Temple, the mighty Sarastro.  The Queen and her Three Ladies charge him with a quest, to rescue the Queen’s daughter, the beautiful Pamina, who has been kidnapped by Monostatos, a henchman working for Sarastro.  Accompanied by the bird catcher, Papageno, the young man, Tamino, starts a voyage of discovery as he searches for love, truth and consequently a purpose higher than himself, with only his Magic Flute and Three Boys to guide him.

Throughout the performance we are delighted to announce that the well-known author and illustrator James Mayhew and his partner Antonio Reche-Martinez, will be painting the action on stage during the performance.

James Mayhew is the author and illustrator of the long-running and best-selling Katie and Ella Bella Ballerina books. First published in 1989, Katie’s Picture Show established the long-running and best selling series of books that introduce children to the great works of art, while Ella Bella Ballerina is a bridge to the great ballets of Tchaikovsky and others. James is also the illustrator of Gaspard the Fox by Zeb Soanes. Apart from his work in publishing, James is an internationally renowned concert presenter, illustrating live on stage with orchestras and ensembles in venues including the Royal Albert Hall.