Press Release: London premiere of The Opera Locos at the Peacock Theatre this May

[Jan McNulty]

Yllana  The Opera Locos Peacock Theatre, WC2 Wednesday 8 – Saturday 11 May  Tickets: £18 - £45 Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com     Following a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in summer 2023, award-winning Spanish theatre company Yllana brings the London premiere of The Opera Locos to the Peacock Theatre, Sadler’s Wells’ home in the West End, this May. The Opera Locos is a comic opera show where five lyrical singers combine well-known opera classics including La Traviata and Madama Butterfly with rock and pop hits from Whitney Houston to Mika. The show integrates these musical genres with Yllana’s physical comedy style to create a show for audiences of all ages.   The show, which won Spain’s prestigious Max Award for Best Musical Show, has brought opera to a new audience around the world, while still maintaining high standards in technique with performances in 16 of countries. The cast is made up of renowned singers hailing from Spain and Africa including Enrique Sánchez-Ramos, Jesús Álvarez, María Rey-Joly, Mayca Teba and Michaël Koné.    In the show, a troupe of eccentric opera singers embark on a performance of repertoire from the greatest operatic composers, throughout the show they each reveal their hidden passions that will bring unpredictable and comedic consequences. The group is made up of five colourful characters including Alfredo, a worn-out tenor with a glorious past, wild mezzo soprano Carmen, Enrique, the macho baritone, pop-loving counter-tenor Franelli and Maria, a naive soprano.    The Opera Locos features music from classic operas including Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte Verdi’s La Traviata,  Puccini’s La Boèhme and Madama Butterfly Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Bizet’s Carmen among others alongside pop and rock hits such as Mika’s ‘Grace Kelly’, Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’, Whitney Houston’s ‘I will always love you’, Bob Marley’s ‘No woman no cry’ Céline Dion's  ‘My Heart Will Go On’ Elton John’s ‘Can you feel the love tonight’ and U2’s ‘With or without you’.     Founded in 1991, Yllana specialises in comedy and physical theatre. The Opera Locos is created and co-directed by Joseph O’Curneen and David Ottone with musical direction by Marc Alvarez & Manuel Coves, costumes and set design by Tatiana de Sarabia and Lighting design by Pedro Pablo Melendo.    Joseph O’Curneen said, “We are really excited to be taking The Opera Locos to the Peacock Theatre. Performing in the heart of London has always been a life long aspiration. By uniquely combining opera, pop and physical comedy this show guarantees a truly emotional and enjoyable experience, no matter where you're from."    David Fry, Peacock Programmer said, “For anyone who might be intimidated by seeing a full-scale opera or indeed anyone who’s a regular operagoer then this is definitely the show for you. It’s like opera’s greatest hits performed by seasoned singers with comedy and a few surprises. One of the best shows I’ve seen in Edinburgh for a long time.” NOTES TO EDITORS   Listings Information Yllana  The Opera Locos Peacock Theatre, WC2 Wednesday 8 – Saturday 11 May Tickets: £18 - £45 Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com About Sadler’s Wells      Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation. We strive to make and share dance that inspires us all. Our acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap.    We commission, produce and present more dance than any other organisation in the world. Since 2005, we have helped to bring more than 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown. Our acclaimed productions tour the world. Since 2005 we’ve produced 64 new full-length works and performed to audiences of more than two million, touring to 51 countries.      Each year, over half a million people visit our three London theatres - Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio and Peacock Theatre. Millions more attend our touring productions nationally and internationally or explore our digital platforms, including Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage.     Sadler’s Wells East   In 2024 we’re opening a fourth London venue in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Sadler’s Wells East will house a 550-seat mid-scale theatre, as well as facilities for the new Rose Choreographic School and the hip hop theatre training centre, Academy Breakin’ Convention.   Sadler’s Wells East joins the rich cultural heritage of Stratford, opening in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of the East Bank development alongside the BBC, UAL’s London College of Fashion, UCL and the V&A. Sadler’s Wells East will support artist development and training, and the creation of new work. It will build the infrastructure for dance and make it accessible to more people. Sadler’s Wells East will house a flexible theatre presenting a wide variety of dance performances. Community will be at the heart of Sadler’s Wells East with a large open foyer that can be used by everyone as a meeting or performance space. There will also be dance studios and world-class dance facilities for dancemakers to train, create and rehearse productions.    Supporting artists  Supporting artists is at the heart of our work. We have associate artists and companies, which nurture some of the most exciting talent working in dance today. We host the National Youth Dance Company, which draws together some of the brightest young dancers from across the country. Sadler’s Wells Breakin' Convention runs professional development programmes to champion and develop the world’s best hip hop artists, as well as producing, programming and touring groundbreaking hip hop performances.      Learning and community links  Around 30,000 people take part in our learning and engagement programmes every year. We support schools local to our theatres in Islington and Stratford, designing experiences for children and young people to watch, explore and critically engage with the arts. We also run Company of Elders, a resident performance company of dancers aged over 60 who rehearse with renowned artists to make new work for public performances locally, nationally and internationally.      Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.      www.sadlerswells.com    Stay up to date with everything Sadler’s Wells on social media     Facebook: @SadlersWells     Twitter: @Sadlers_Wells     Instagram: @sadlers_wells     YouTube: Sadler’s Wells Theatre         About Yllana Yllana was founded in 1991 as a comedy and physical theatre company, it has since then diversified its activity, offering a number of services in the world of audiovisual and performing arts.   It is mainly dedicated to the creation, production and distribution of theatrical shows, but it has expanded its expertise to include corporate events, audiovisual formats, management of theatres, drama schools, and a wide range of diverse projects in the cultural sphere. Yllana’s founding members are Juan Francisco Ramos, Marcos Ottone, David Ottone, Joseph O’Curneen and Fidel Fernández.