The Magic Flute - Impempe Yomlingo

Thursday May 28, 2009 - Saturday May 30, 2009 at 8:00pm

Victoria Theatre
9 Empress Place
Singapore, Central Singapore

A life-enhancing and joyous adaptation of Mozart’s beloved opera as you’ve never heard it before – the South African way! An adventure, a fairy story, a comedy and a drama gloriously re-imagined with 35 singers and musicians on marimbas and drums drawn from across South African townships.

Mozart’s The Magic Flute follows Prince Tamino on his quest to rescue Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night, in a journey towards self-knowledge, compassion, tolerance and enlightenment. Mozart’s original music is rescored to African marimbas, drums and township percussion which replace the traditional orchestra and bring a fresh perspective to this heart-warming and comedic tale of love, adventure and reconciliation.

Based in Cape Town, with many of its performers hailing from the township of Khayelitsha, Isango Portobello specialises in re-imagining classics from the Western theatre canon within an African setting, creating new work that is relevant to the heritage of the South African nation. At the heart of the company are the extraordinary musical abilities of its performers.

"Mozart magic meets African brilliance… a possible musical future that is hard to watch without a lump in the throat. It speaks directly out of the townships, yet it’s entirely true to Mozart." - The Independent

"Packing enough energy to power a couple of national grids, and enough decibels to lift several roods… exhilarating and vibrant." – The Times

"Truly enchanting for children and adults. Warm, collective, universally accessible, musical magic." – Time Out

Ticket Info: $70, $55, $40, $25, $16