The Fugard Theatre Bioscope, in association with Opus Arte and Emerging Pictures, The Royal Opera House, The Royal Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet Companies and Gran Teatre del Liceu and Teatro alla Scala presents the new 2012/2013 world opera and ballet season from Sunday, 10 June. The new season is supported by Fine Music Radio 101.3, a Cape Town-based community radio station, focusing on classical and jazz music.

In 2011 the Fugard Theatre, in the heart of District Six, was furnished with state-of-the-art digital cinema and surround sound equipment to transform the theatre into a magnificent bioscope when required. The world opera and ballet screenings are presented in full high definition, with 5.1 digital dolby surround sound. The recently completed inaugural season of world opera and ballet at the Fugard Theatre Bioscope featured iconic operas and many popular ballets, featuring some of the biggest stars of the world's stages.

“We were delighted with the success of our first season, which featured the finest opera and ballet the world stages have on offer. It is exciting news for us to extend our exclusive relationship with these power-houses of opera and ballet and to be in a position to present performances which would otherwise not be viewed by local audiences,” said Daniel Galloway the general manager of the Fugard Theatre.

The 2012/2013 titles, screenings and times are as follows – please note the dates may be subject to change. All details are listed and on the Fugard Theatre website: www.thefugard.com:

10 June 2012; 14:00 and 18:00: La Boheme (Opera: Puccini: Captured at Gran Teatre del Liceu)
8 July 2012; 14:00 and 18:00: The Magic Flute (Opera: Mozart: Captured at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy)
15 July 2012: 14:00 and 18:00: Giselle (Ballet: Petipa after Coralli & Perrot: The Royal Ballet) Re-screening due to popular demand
12 August 2012; 14:00 and 18:00: Don Giovanni (Opera: Mozart: Captured at Opening Night at Teatro alla Scala)
19 August 2012; 14:00 and 18:00: The Flames of Paris (Ballet: Boris Asafiev: The Bolshoi Ballet Company)
9 September 2012; 14:00 and 18:00: Esmeralda (Ballet: Petipa: Bolshoi Ballet Company)
16 September 2012; 14:00 and 18:00: Aida (Opera: Verdi: Captured at Teatro del Maggio Musicalec Fiorentino)
13 & 14 October 2012; 16:00: Romeo & Juliet (Ballet: MacMillan: The Royal Ballet Company)
10 & 11 November 2012; 16:00: Les Troyens (Opera: The Royal Opera House)
17 & 18 November 2012; 16:00: Carmen (Opera: Bizet: Captured at Teatro alla Scala)
9 & 16 December 2012: 14:00 and 18:00: The Nutcracker (Ballet: The Royal Ballet Company)

Titles for 2013 will include:
13 January 2013; 14:00 and 18:00: Carmen (Opera: The Royal Opera Company)
20 January 2013; 14:00 and 18:00: Don Quixote (Ballet: Fadeyeche: The Bolshoi Ballet) Re-screening due to popular demand
17 February 2013; 14:00 and 18:00: Faust (Opera: The Royal Opera House
17 March 2013; 14:00 and 18:00: The Sleeping Beauty (Ballet: The Royal Ballet Company)
21 April 2013; 14:00 and 18:00: Rigoletto (Opera: The Royal Opera House)
26 May 2013; 14:00 and 18:00: La Fille Mal Gardee (Ballet: The Royal Ballet Company)

The new season commences this weekend with the screening of Puccini’s delightful, romantic La Boheme, the most romantic opera ever written. Puccini’s beloved melodies perfectly convey the heartbreak and passion of young, poor Parisian artists falling in love. This intimate and moving production from the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, has been praised as “so powerful … it feels like you’re watching what Puccini was picturing in his mind’s eye as he was writing the opera.” (CityArts) The production stars Fiorenza Cedolins as Mimi, Christopher Maltman as Marcello and Ramon Vargas as Rodolfo.

La Boheme screens at 14:00 and 18:00 on Sunday, 10 June with tickets at R100 per person. Friends of the Fugard benefit from generous discounts through the theatre’s box office. Bookings are via Computicket and the Fugard Theatre Box Office on 021 461 4554. There is secure parking in the Harrington Street car park located at the corner of Caledon and Harrington streets and is available for the use of theatre patrons. A full cash bar is available before and after the screenings and patrons are encouraged to make use of the convenient pre-order system for interval refreshments.

The 280-seater Fugard Theatre is located within the historic Sacks Futeran building in Cape Town’s District Six, with the renovated Congregational Church Hall in Caledon Street as its entrance. Construction of The Fugard Theatre was underwritten by its founding producer Eric Abraham, and is named in honour of Athol Fugard, South Africa’s greatest playwright.