It makes for a treasure trove of character studies. The story details all the goings on when they are stuck at the departure lounge due to a storm.

While the refugee character is front and centre, Flight is very much an ensemble work, populated by no fewer than ten finely drawn personalities.

He ultimately died of a heart attack at the airport just this past November, at age 77. He was allowed to stay in the terminal but was unable to leave the airport. Left to Right: Maria Milenic, Elena Howard-Scott, Emma MacNeil, Alexa Frankian, Christian Masucci Facchini & Hannah Crawford (Rebanks Fellow) (Photo: Lisa Sakulensky)ĭove and his librettist April De Angelis draw their inspiration from the true story of Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian refugee who made headlines by living in the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for an unbelievable 18 years. I attended the second of two performances, where an enthusiastic audience gave the cast and crew a resounding ovation at the end. To my eyes and ears, Flight is an altogether stronger work musically and makes for good theatre, given its more contemporary resonance. My previous exposure to Jonathan Dove was his Mansfield Park, staged by the University of Toronto Opera in early March 2020, just before COVID-19 put all in-person concerts to a grinding halt. The Toronto premiere took place last week at Koerner Hall for two performances, presented by the Royal Conservatory of Music/Glenn Gould School as its spring offering. Flight finally received its Canadian premiere at the Pacific Opera Victoria, just before the Pandemic hit in March 2020. It has received some two dozen productions in European houses the likes of Netherlands Reisopera, Vlaamse Opera (Belgium), Oper Leipzig, Scottish Opera, as well as Boston, Des Moines, Utah, Seattle and Dallas on this side of the pond.Ĭanada is a bit of a Johnny-come-lately when it comes to this opera. Since its premiere at the Glyndebourne Festival in 1999, Flight has become the most popular works among the prodigious output of British composer Jonathan Dove. Left to Right: Maria Milenic, Hannah Crawford (Rebanks Fellow), Christian Masucci Facchini, Alexa Frankian & Elena Howard-Scott (Photo: Lisa Sakulensky)Ĭhristian Masucci Facchini (Refugee), Emma MacNeil (Controller), Maria Milenic (Minskwoman),Colin MacKey (Minskman), Elena Howard-Scott (Tina), Ross Mortimer (Bill), Alexa Frankian (Older Woman), Hannah Crawford (Stewardess), Simon Gidora (Steward), Ben Loyst (Immigration Officer), Nicholas Kiuftinger (Baggage Carrier 1), Jeffrey Liu (Baggage Carrier 2) Royal Conservatory Orchestra, Gordon Gerrard, conductor Anna Theodosakis, director Michelle Tracey, set & costume designer.

Jonathan dove mansfield park