October 2007: The Burning Fiery Furnace and The Prodigal Son

Imperial Productions, in association with The 100 Club, presents a double bill of Britten's rarely-performed Operas

The Burning Fiery Furnace and The Prodigal Son

Two Parables for Church Performance
Music by Benjamin Britten, Libretti by William Plomer

Tuesday 30th October 2007, 7.30pm
Thursday 1st - Friday 2nd November 2007, 7.30pm

at Holy Trinity Church, South Kensington

Tickets £12 in advance; £15 on the door.

About the Parables

Presented in the gilded splendour of Holy Trinity Church, South Kensington - GF Bodley's masterpiece of mock Gothic - in the centenary year of the architect's death, these two rarely performed operas, along with "Curlew River", make up the trilogy of Britten's "Parables for Church Performance".

The story of The Prodigal Son, with its emphasis on repentance and forgiveness, is one of the best known of all New Testament stories. A family consisting of father, elder son, younger son and their servants lives by the fruits of its toil on the land. When the elder son and the men go off to work in the fields, the younger son hears a voice tempting him to his "most secret longings". He asks for and obtains his inheritance, but in the city, parasites remove it from him and he is left penniless. He returns home to ask his father's forgiveness and is received with rejoicing, and even his envious elder brother is finally reconciled to the restored situation.

The story of The Burning Fiery Furnace is drawn from the Old Testament. In sixth century B.C. Babylon, three young Israelites have been brought to the city as captives. On the advice of Daniel, they are appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar to rule over three provinces. When at a feast they refuse to betray the faith of their forefathers by eating and drinking with the courtiers, the Astrologer persuades the King that this is an insult to the nation and to the faith. At Nebuchadnezzar's command, a furnace is prepared for their execution and they are thrown in. Once inside, the men are joined by an angel, and their faith successfully defies the heat of the furnace. When they appear untouched by the fire, the king repudiates the Astrologer and is converted to their faith.

Show photography by Ralph Rapley of XMO4.com.

About the 100 Club

This production would not have been possible without the support of the Imperial Productions 100 Club. Membership of the club costs just £1 a month - some of which is distributed in the monthly prize draw - and the rest is used to fund special projects that the society undertakes. To find out more, and for details on how to join, visit the 100 Club page.

Tim Brierley has directed for various companies including Opera at Bearwood, Teatro Technis, The Arts Studio at Highgate, Chaff 'n Bran and Aylesbury Opera. As an actor and singer, he worked extensively for various companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Platforms Theatre, English Chamber Theatre, Savonlinna Opera Festival, Opera Exchange, English Festival Opera, Interact Theatre (Washington DC), Court Opera and Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds Reps. This is his first show with Imperial Productions.