Die Fledermaus

Music, Mischief and Masquerade!

Arguably the most popular of all Viennese operettas, Die Fledermaus is a sparkling confection of illicit liaisons, mistaken identities and champagne fuelled mayhem set to a delightful score filled with irresistible melodies by the “Waltz King” Johann Strauss II.

The Revenge of the Bat
Dr Falke has been planning his revenge on his best friend Gabriel Eisenstein, after he left him dressed as a Bat (Die Fledermaus) to make the “walk of shame” home after a riotous costume ball.

Rosalinda, Gabriel’s wife, has given her maid Adele the evening off to look after her sick aunt, and believing her husband is going to be in jail, is looking forward to spending a few stolen moments with her former suitor Alfred.

In truth, after being invited by Dr Falke, both Adele and Gabriel are planning on spending the evening at a magnificent masquerade ball given by Prince Orlofsky. Falke then persuades Rosalinda to attend, disguised as a Hungarian Countess. As the characters are brought together in various guises, we set the scene for a hilarious story of mistaken identity full of splendour, posh frocks and masks.

Fully staged with a chamber orchestra and sung in English with a new translation by Peter Melville, our production takes place in the early 1930’s in Vienna.