A Derbyshire singer will realise a childhood dream when she stars in a ‘larger than life’ community opera.
Soprano Isabel Lovell, 23, will join more than 100 performers in epic production The Monster in the Maze at its Sheffield debut in The Crucible on November 1.
The Monster in the Maze is based on an ancient Greek myth about a minotaur – half man, half bull – which lurks in a palace’s labyrinth in Athens. King Minos decrees that a regular supply of young people should be sacrificed to the monster – a ruling which incites brave hero Theseus to take on the minotaur in his maze.
Originally performed in London in 2015, this reimagined production has been created by Jonathan Dove for, by and with the people of Sheffield.
Isabel became involved The Monster in the Maze as she sings with the city based choir Abbeydale Singers.
She said: “It is a bit of a dream come true. There was a point in my life where I did consider going into opera as a career. I love opera and really like Greek mythology so when I heard about the opportunity I was so excited.
“Performing at The Crucible feels a little bit crazy to me – I am absolutely buzzing about it.”
Opera fan Isabel, who grew up in Youlgreave and attended Lady Manners School in Bakewell, was raised in a singing household. Her parents met through a choir and shared the joy of singing with their children.
For The Monster in the Maze, Isabel is part of the adult chorus in the intergenerational show where participants include parents performing alongside their children and people singing in a choir for the first time.
The production features professional singers as Theseus, Mother and Daedalus, and an actor as King Minos. Participants have been drawn from Sheffield Music Hub groups who will perform alongside a chorus of adults from Sheffield with Music in the Round’s Ensemble 360, Bridge Ensemble, Consone Quartet and a ‘Minotaur Band’ of brass players.
Isabel, who has just moved to Sheffield, added: “I have loved being part of the opera. “It is an epic production. I still get chills hearing certain sections of the music, it’s so gripping.
“At rehearsals, hearing all the different voices coming together is magical.”
