Fidelio (6+)

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A stark fairytale opera

For two years, Pizarro has held him captive. Is he a dangerous killer? Or a vicious thief?
Not at all. Florestan likes nothing better than singing. And with his songs, he makes people dream.

 

All this dreaming is not to the liking of the cruel tyrant Pizarro. He wants Florestan silenced for good and locks him in a secret dungeon, deep underground. People will soon forget him now. But Leonore misses her Florestan. She cannot forget him. She must and will free her boyfriend.

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The (young) spectators are in Pizarro's prison, so to speak, and experience Leonore's liberation adventure very closely.

 

This fairytale opera for young audiences premiered in France a few days after the 15 November 2015 terror attacks in Paris. In private as all theatres were closed to the public. When schools could no longer come to the theatre, WALPURGIS would go to the schools with a unplugged-version which would later also play several times in living rooms, libraries and asylum centres...

 

See also

Fidelio, the libretto reading
Fidelio, the animated film
Fidelio, the international collection of essays

 

Credits

concept, libretto & direction
Judith Vindevogel
music
Ludwig van Beethoven
arrangements, soundscapes & live piano
Jago Moons
scenography & lighting design
Stef Depover
acting & singing
Liesbeth Devos/Annelies Van Hijfte/Lisa Willems (soprano), Astrid Stockman/Laure Campion (soprano), Ronan Debois/Kurt Gysen (baritone), Saïd Boumazoughe (film)
costume design
Caroline Wittemans
costume performance
Hilde Mertens, Hanne Vandersteen & Caroline Wittemans
doll/mask design & coaching
Filip Peeters
sound
Guy Van den Bril
set design
hetpaleis & Stef Depover
video
the Imagery/Studio C
poster image
Ingrid Godon
translation French version
Lorenzo Caròla & Judith Vindevogel
production
WALPURGIS
co-production
hetpaleis (BE), Théâtre de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines/Scène nationale (FR)
with the support of
Arcadi Île-de-France & the Flemish community
co-presentation
THE MUNT/LA MONNAIE with the support of the Flemish Community Commission Brussels

Press

"Fidelio is a very timely plea for love and justice in times of an increasingly pronounced need for civic participation." Kif Kif - Orlando Verde - 28.10.2016

 

"Fidelio is challenging musical theatre for children of today!"
Flemish Musical Magazine - Glen Vandenberghe - 30.10.2016
Also read the report Love, freedom and togetherness are at the heart of WALPURGIS' fairytale opera Fidelio

 

"Fidelio in 3 words: PURE, CATCHY, RECRUITING. Mission Successful!"
Podi-art.be - Swa Van de brul - 10.02.2016

 

"A show like Fidelio alerts its audience to so many essential things. It is the educational method par excellence to make children think about social issues, values and norms in a fun way."
Frontview Magazine - Anouk Antonissen - 14.02.2016

 

"The educational and artistic design of this Fidelio immediately emphasises the content of the piece as Judith Vindevogel sees it: an ode to love that not only liberates loved ones but, above all, in doing so, brings about a general feeling of being connected in charity."
Theatremaggezien - Roger Arteel - 19.02.2016

 

"Especially the singing together was very strong. Everything was made even more intense by having the singers move among the children."
Classic Central - Veerle Deknopper - 18.02.2016

 

"When an opera singer or singer sings an aria barely a metre away, you feel it right down to your smallest toe (...) a surround experience that has no equal. That just blows you away."
Fidelio, bread for children and adults - Blog The Owl Field - 17.02.2016

 

"This Fidelio is a fine addition to the international bestseller 'Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls'. And (...) a call to reject any form of tyranny or populism."
Theatre newspaper - Henri Drost - 29.05.2018

 

"You are your own instrument, which is a very nice feeling."
Astrid Stockman sings at the opera - Interview with soprano Astrid Stockman (role of Marcelline) in Wablieft newspaper - Ruud Meert - 23.03.2016

 

The Morning - Jan De Smet - 16.02.2016

 

Interview with soprano Astrid Stockman following French premiere 5 days after Paris terror attacks
Knack - 14.11.2015 - Simon Demeulemeester

 

"Sometimes you have to have the courage to shoot into action if you want things to change."
Interview with director Judith Vindevogel in MMM Mint Monnaie Magazine - Linda Lovrovic - October 2016

 

"For me, searching is as valuable as finding. And along the way, you can also make beautiful things worth sharing."
Interview with musician Jago Moons in wOwW! magazine - Natalie Schrauwen - March 2018

 

Interview with Judith Vindevogel

Odette Paris, Bel RTL, 21/10/2016

 

Interview by Greet Samyn with Judith Vindevogel
Radio Klara: Happy Hour - 05.02.2016

 

Annonce + interviews with Judith, Liesbeth, Kurt & Stef
Radio France Bleu - 18.01.2016

 

"Ce Fidelio frappe juste et réserve quelques moments d'intense émotion."
La Croix - 24.12.2015 - Emmanuelle Giuliani

 

"Le livret est véritablement contemporain avec ses tics de langages. Les images sont d'actualité et la musique d'accompagnement rythmée ne rechigne pas à avoir une couleur électronisée. Le Fidélio pour enfants et leurs parents est une œuvre originale et à l'évidence atteint les petits d'hommes du vingt et unième siècle.
Le résultat est étonnant, ébouriffe quelque peu et emporte une adhésion immédiate car le récit est fort et le jeu, qui glisse souplement du mime au dialogue, équilibré. Ce Fidélio constitue une entrée en matière d'opéra stimulante."
La Revue du spectacle - 04.01.2016 - Jean Grapin

 

"Un opéra-conte touchant qui se termine par l'Hymne à la joie, entonné en chœur. On aime beaucoup!"
Télérama Sortir Paris - 30.11.2015 - Françoise Sabatier-Morel

 

"La scène des retrouvailles entre Léonore et Florestan est réellement émouvante. (...) On sent le jeune public attentif. Indéniablement, ce spectacle lui parle (...)"
Holybuzz: Amour vainqueur - 16.12.2015 - Pierre François

 

Fréquence Mistral - 04.01.2016 - Mario Poncelet/Tanguy Arnaud

 

Public comments
"I am happy and sad at the same time. Happy because it was so incredibly beautiful. But also sad: people do far too many ugly things to each other. That should just be over!"
Rune

 

"I was really moved the moment the puppet Florestan appeared, by the imagination created on stage, combined with the video. Nice concept, nice execution!"
Annelies

 

"I enjoyed watching the children singing along at the front! Together with the -relative- simplicity of the setting, it looks like a party for 6+."
Petra

 

"I really thought it was a heartwarming performance, I enjoyed watching it, laughing and crying with it."
Nele

 

"My first grade class has been talking about nothing else since Tuesday, it was wonderful!"
Tian Yumin, teacher

 

"Became young again today.... Superb whirlwind story, beastly effervescent actors, unbelievable scenery; how do you manage it, it kept resonating..."
Marc

 

"I was moved, sometimes love is simply one of the most beautiful possessions, I saw that again through the simplicity of your performance."
Tom

 

"Together with our three grandchildren, we also really enjoyed Fidelio last month. Our granddaughter has been playing the song (Ode to Joy) on the piano ever since and they are singing your lyrics at the top of their voices. What a relief these beautiful clever performances in these depressing times."
Denis

 

"Glad that opera is increasingly finding its way to (very) young audiences. Great work!"
Anouk Anthonissen, Frontview Magazine

 

"Impressive!!! First time opera with the boys, TOP!"
Anonymous, HETPALEIS guestbook

 

"To dream away, love rules!"
Emil, HETPALEIS guestbook

 

"I especially watched the amazed looks of the spectators...priceless, indescribable."
Anonymous, HETPALEIS guestbook

 

"Fascinated for 45 min, amazed by beauty of chants, strong characters, beautiful message."
Kathleen, the gang of Fly

 

"Very poetic and yet very understandable."
Geert

 

"Playful and playful, very rewarding for both children and adults."
Carmien

 

"I thought throughout the performance 'if only I had been allowed to experience something like this as a child,'" he says.
Isabelle

 

"My first grade class has been talking about nothing else since Tuesday, it was wonderful!"
Tian

 

"Goosebumps and tears. Tastes like more. Opera for kids, I'm a fan!"
Ingrid

 

"It was a long time since a theatrical performance grabbed me so much, I listened to the beautiful ending with tears in my eyes. Chapeau how you managed to encapsulate a complex fact like an opera for children without detracting from the original whole, how you managed to bring music, singing, theatre, tape, video, movement, and puppetry as a contiguous whole, how enormously high the quality of all those disciplines was, and how beautifully topical you managed to place the story of Leonore and Florestan. The story of Leonore and Florestan was the bedtime story here today, and I think for some time to come. I hope there are more operas to come, I really hope so. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon!
Stéphanie Adriaansen

 

"I took my son to see FIDELIO this week at Het Paleis in Antwerp. It is a wonderful combination of music and theatre and it brought a tear to my eye, the ending is extremely moving. If you want to hear fabulous singing from convincing, elegant and energetic performers AND have children under the age of 10, you must go and see FIDELIO. These operatic story concepts for children devised by Judith Vindevogel keep getting better and better!"
Catrin Wyn-Davies

 

"The opera sound has enchanted again
The doll moved the most
The reaction ofd daughter who simply said that
Her flame was 'cool' instead of being jealous.
Friends made on the spot
Just because it sits next to you.
Blessed
And thank you "
Gille and Valentine Kempynck

 

"Vous avez été chacun, chacune, merveilleuses, merveilleux. Voici quelques fleurs pour que l'hymne à la joie nous parvienne à tous à nouveau, en ces temps de doutes et d'incertitudes."
Isabelle, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines

 

"Les élèves ont apprécié la proximité des comédiens, de pouvoir leur parler. Ils étaient très attentifs. Ils ont été impressionnés par l'artiste qui se coupait les cheveux, pour de vrai!
La mise en scène est toujours originale. C'est une façon très agréable de sensibiliser les enfants à la musique classique et à l'opéra. Bravo et à bientôt!"
Mme Petitit, École maternelle publique Mousseau, Evry

 

"Spectacle d'une grande qualité, proximité du public et acteurs au milieu des enfants: très intéressant. Marionnette tellement réaliste qu'elle intrigue les spectateurs. Merci encore pour ce grand moment, la maîtresse a versé sa petite larme d'émotion."
Yannick Raffner, École maternelle publique Mousseau, Evry

 

"Je sors de votre spectacle Fidelio, présenté ce soir (10 décembre) à Châtillon. Je tenais à laisser un mot pour vous féliciter. Faire vivre le mannequin est sans doute un des moments forts du spectacle, par l'émotion que les acteurs jouent à perfection. Aussi les voix sont très belles. L'harmonie des chants à trois ce sont des moments de pur bonheur. Très courageuse l'association de la boîte à rythmes au bel canto. Surprenante. Félicitations!"
Christien Dias, Châtillon

 

"Superbe spectacle!"
Laurence Albanese, Marseille

 

"Une partie des habitants de Cherbourg en Cotentin et de ses alentours passe une excellente semaine grâce à Fidelio. Merci merci!"
Cécile Garin, Cherbourg

 

"Woww!: voilà ce que je pense du spectacle Fidelio que j'ai eu la chance de voir ce matin. J'en suis ravie, enchantée, heureuse. C'est une merveille, d'une pertinence et d'une perfection rares, vraiment pour tout public, de 6 à 66 ans (ou plus)..."
Nicole Everaert-Desmedt, Charleroi

 

"Je n'ai eu que des bon échos des élèves avec lequel j'ai travaillé sur ce spectacle, j'ai moi-même beaucoup aimé !"
Marion (PBA, Charleroi)

 

"La série à Charleroi a été un vrai bonheur pour l'équipe et pour les spectateurs. Revoir le spectacle m'a émue aux larmes. Je ne peux qu'une fois encore saluer l'intelligence et la sensibilité de votre adaptation."
Isabelle Bodson (PBA , Charleroi)

Media