Opulence And Style: Behind The Scenes Of Malta’s Latest ‘Unorthodox’ Production Of An Italian Masterpiece

Puccini’s Tosca is one of the most critically acclaimed theatre pieces of all time. Luckily for all the opera buffs on the island, the opening night for this amazing piece on our island is just one week away… and everyone involved is taking up a notch.

On the 13th of October, Aurora Theatre in Gozo will be presenting world-renowned Vivien Hewitt’s new production of Tosca. Opulence and luxury will definitely be on the menu for this long-awaited event, and Malta’s finest have all been roped in to make sure this is the case.

The work will be based on Victorien Sardou’s 1887 dramatic French play, a melodramatic piece set in 1800s Rome. The story is around Napoleon’s invasion of the Kingdom of Naples, and from torture to suicide, this dramatic opera is considered one of Puccini’s best known and most moving arias.

Tosca is a forever-favourite among opera goers all over the world, and the artistic direction is expected to be one filled with luxury and high-end pieces. Seeing as we can’t wait to see what these guys have in store for us, we’ve been lucky enough to get some behind the scenes photos from what is shaping up to be a night of opulence.

Beyond the theatrical masterpiece, the highly anticipated opera will also be flaunting some of Malta’s best when it comes to other departments, and the costume design is definitely one of them.

Beloved local designer Luke Azzopardi’s ethereal custom designs and Andrew Borg Wirth’s acclaimed set designs have both been included as part of the brand’s artistic involvement, so expect Tosca to come to life in a beautifully Maltese way.

This is the first time that the Aurora has commissioned a couture atelier to create costumes for them, so it’s a super big deal. Timeless elegance and lush aesthetics will surely be the talk of the night with Azzopardi on board. Camilleriparismode will be helping in raising local standards with over 100 couture-level costumes by Azzopardi.

“Bringing aboard my own academic background in fashion history, I sought to create visuals for Tosca that challenged the boundaries of costume design,” Azzopardi told Lovin Malta. “To translate couture techniques and methods, as well as my love for beautiful fabrics, into the creation of a theatrical production that exhibits over a hundred clothing pieces.”

The plan is to have an unorthodox-looking new version of Tosca. “Making sure that the traditional idiosyncrasies of the opera were treated with due reverence. We sought to devise an end product that reflected the beautiful duality of the decadence of Roman Baroque and the wave of Neoclassicism that was sweeping across Europe when the opera came to be on the other,” Luke said.

Once again, Luke Azzopardi is here to impress the audience and contribute in his unique and decadent ways to the development of local artisanal design. We promise you that it will be worth your time.

Tosca is part of the Gozo Cultural Support Programme within the Ministry for Gozo and Arts Council Malta and is supported by the Valletta 2018 foundation and Camilleriparismode.

Tag someone who’d love to check out Tosca and book your tickets for the event here!

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