Step into Sondheim’s world with Northern Ireland Opera
Belfast audiences are in for a treat this September as Northern Ireland Opera invites theatre lovers to step behind the curtain of one of Stephen Sondheim’s greatest works.
Ahead of the much-anticipated professional Northern Irish premiere of Follies at the Grand Opera House, the company is hosting a special event, In Conversation: Follies and Sondheim, on Thursday, September 4 from 6.30 to 8pm in the Event Space at Room2, Upper Queen Street, Belfast.
The evening will bring together three leading voices to explore the genius of Sondheim and the creative process behind NI Opera’s new production. Cameron Menzies, Artistic Director of NI Opera and director of Follies, will be joined by Stuart Pedlar, West End musical director and long-time Sondheim collaborator, and Dr Richard Schoch, Professor of Drama at Queen’s University Belfast and author of How Sondheim Can Change Your Life. Together they will share insights, stories and reflections on Sondheim’s enduring impact, followed by an open Q&A session with the audience.
The evening will also feature live music with members of the 'Follies' cast and NI Opera artists performing some of the show’s celebrated numbers.
Tickets are just £10, making this an accessible and engaging introduction both for seasoned Sondheim fans and those discovering his work for the first time.
The conversation event serves as the perfect prelude to NI Opera’s landmark staging of Follies, which runs at the Grand Opera House from 13–20 September. Directed by Cameron Menzies, this large-scale production will see a cast of West End and international stars — including Lesley Garrett CBE, Jacqueline Dankworth MBE, Anna-Jane Casey and Annette McLaughlin — share the stage with outstanding Northern Irish talent, accompanied by a 35-piece orchestra.
It will be the first professional production of Follies ever staged in Northern Ireland, bringing to life iconic songs such as Broadway Baby, I’m Still Here and Losing My Mind.
Don’t miss this chance to immerse yourself in the world of Sondheim: begin with an evening of conversation, insight and song on September 4, and return to experience the full spectacle of Follies at the Grand Opera House later in the month.
Book now for In Conversation: Follies and Sondheim at niopera.com.