SAMLING Academy Opera returns this summer to present a new production of Ravel’s lyric fantasy, The Child and the Spells.

L’enfant et les sortilèges is a cautionary tale where a naughty child’s actions rebound as inanimate objects and animals learn to talk and seek their revenge.

With performances at Saltburn Community Theatre at 7.30pm tonight (Tuesday July 28) July and at the same time at Sage Gateshead on Thursday (July 30) and Friday (July 31), the intensive rehearsal period has been based in Saltburn-by-the-Sea where the community has been keen to get involved.

Indeed, “the face” of the production, is Eddie Doran-Armstrong, a pupil at Saltburn Community Primary School.

On top of this, Saltburn locals are providing home stay accommodation for all the cast and production team giving them a real taste of North-East hospitality.

Samling’s artistic and executive director Karon Wright said: “We were based in Saltburn for our production of Albert Herring two years ago and it is a wonderful place for all involved to spend two weeks of their summer.

“Though performed in French, this really is an excellent opera for those to explore the art-form. “There will be surtitles projected onto a screen above the stage and the whole opera takes just under an hour to perform.

“On top of that, at the start of each performance, the production team will introduce this magical piece of theatre.”

The fully-staged production with a reduction of the score for piano duet, cello and flute by Didier Puntos is directed entirely by Samling Artists, with director Miranda Wright and music director Jean-Paul Pruna leading a cast of Samling Academy participants both past and present. Samling Artist – Newcastle born professional soprano Ruth Jenkins-Róbertsson – will join the cast in the roles of Fire and Nightingale.

Dena Lague, who has performed with Matthew Bourne’s celebrated New Adventures for the past decade, joins the production team as movement director and the opera is lit by innovative international lighting designer, Matt Haskins.

Karon said: “Samling Academy, in partnership with Newcastle and Durham Universities and Sage Gateshead, is developing the next generation of classical singers in the North East of England.

“Young people aged 14-21 who are growing up in this region and those who have chosen to come here to study benefit from unique training and performance opportunities, and this production will show just what talent we have here.”

Tickets are priced £12 at Saltburn Community Theatre (Tel: 01287 624997 or visit www.saltburnarts.co.uk) and £15 at Sage Gateshead (Tel: 0191 443 4661 or visit www.sagegateshead.com). Concessions are available.