THE world-wide success of the 'St Kilda Opera' continues as the event is set to be a highlight at the Edinburgh International Festival this summer.
The Belgian production of the opera will be performed for the first time in Scotland, in Gaelic and French, at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre on August 15, 16 and 17.
Lewis star of the production, Gaelic singer and actor Alyth McCromack, said of t
he capital city performance: "I'm delighted the Belgian production will finally be performed in Scotland.
"The St Kilda Opera is a stunning and moving production. I love performing it and have had a wonderful time working and touring with international theatre practitioners."
The award winning Belgian/Scottish co-production – L'île des Hommes-Oiseaux – was premiered in 2007 as one of five shows performed simultaneously in France, Germany, Austria and Scotland, as well as Belgium.
All five productions worked from the same script, libretto, musical score and audio-visual material, but all were profoundly different in the nature of their venues and their visual and dramatic presentation.
Each event also featured live music-theatre with cliff dancers, actors, musicians, choirs and Gaelic singers in each venue and all were linked by live satellite connection to St Kilda.
The international 2007 project was led by Gaelic Arts Agency Pròiseact nan Ealan, and won the Scottish Event of the Year Award.
And speaking of the latest development in the St Kilda Opera success story, Director of Pròiseact nan Ealan, Malcolm Maclean, said: "Over recent years the Gaelic arts have been developing new audiences and the five simultaneous St Kilda Opera productions in 2007 enjoyed huge success across Europe.
"The Edinburgh International Festival is the world's most prestigious arts festival and prides itself in showcasing the world's best arts productions. We are obviously delighted to see the St Kilda Opera selected as one of the highlights of this year's festival.
"The Belgian production is outstanding and a powerful staging of the St Kilda story that will be an inspiration for festival audiences," he added.
The Belgian production, directed by Thierry Poquet and written by Gaelic writer Iain Finlay Macleod, presents its own distinct interpretation of the St Kildan story.
And since its 2007 debut, the production has been restaged in Belgium and in France to critical and popular acclaim.
This is the first time however that this remarkable production will be shown in Scotland, and commenting on the Edinburgh International Festival highlight event, Culture Minister Michael Russell said: "I am very pleased to see The St Kilda Opera on the programme for this year's Edinburgh International Festival.
"The premiere of the opera was a remarkable achievement, putting Gaelic centre stage in five countries. Now the Belgian part of the project will be seen in the capital of Scotland during one of the world's greatest arts festivals."
He continued: "Gaelic is an integral part of our national life and heritage, and of course, of our future as a country.
"It is also part of Europe's culture so it is vital that Gaelic has a place in the mainstream. It's inclusion in the main programme of the Edinburgh International Festival is a strong and positive affirmation of Gaelic's importance to all of us in Scotland.
"Gaelic is the medium best able to convey the unique story of Eilean Hiort and her people and I look forward to being present when the work is staged," the Minister added.
Tickets for the St Kilda Opera will be available from the Edinburgh International Festival Box Office from April 4 at 10am. For more information go to www.eif.co.uk or call 0131 473 2000.
And to find out more about The St Kilda Opera, log onto www.stkilda.eu or www.gaelic-arts.com
