Swansea City Opera are returning to Mansfield Palace Theatre on Sunday, 22nd March with a rare production of Charles Gounod’s opera, Faust.

Starring in Faust as Siebel will be Alexandra Cassidy, who is making a return to the Mansfield Palace Theatre stage, after having performed there with Cantamus Girls’ Choir when she was a child. During her time with Cantamus , Cassidy performed her first solo on the same stage where she will perform Faust.

Since her first solo with Cantamus, Cassidy has performed as a soloist with a wide range of ensembles, notably the Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Scottish Opera Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

She is delighted to be returning to Mansfield Palace Theatre and said: “Singing on the same stage I began singing is a real privilege. It really will be a very special moment and the highlight of the tour for me.”

Swansea City Opera are celebrating their 10th anniversary by performing the rarely seen Faust. As part of this year’s tour, Swansea City Opera are involving local choirs throughout the country in their local performance. Nottingham Music Hub will help bring some of the most ambitious scenes of Faust to life in Mansfield.

Sung in English, this dark Gothic tale follows the fortunes of Faust, who weary of life, is contemplating suicide when he encounters Méphistophélès (the Devil). Faust agrees to exchange his soul for eternal youth and the fulfilment of his hedonistic wishes. The resulting journey balances romance and temptation; and is widely regarded as a magical and tuneful masterpiece, based on Goethe’s dramatic poem Faust, one of the great works of European Literature.

This production is set in the Victorian Gothic era and accompanied by chamber orchestra. Faust contains many well-known musical highlights including The Jewel Song and the Soldiers Chorus, which will be performed by some of the finest singers and orchestral players in the country. This is a rare opportunity to see Gounod’s finest work, regarded by many as a master class in operatic dramatic structure.

There will be a pre-performance talk about the opera and production, given by the Artistic Director of Swansea City Opera, Brendan Wheatley that will be free of charge to all ticket holders (pre-booking essential.)

Tickets are £19.48 Full / £18.45 concs / £56.38 family of four / Music Society Members receive 10% discount (prices include a 2.5% booking fee). To book, call the Box Office on 01623 633133 or go to www.mansfield.gov.uk/palacetheatre