The Almeida Summer Festival's European premiere of Adam Rapp's one man play, Nocturne.

Almeida Summer Festival

When: Jul - Aug 2009 (annual)

Where: Almeida Theatre

Opening Hours: Various

Web site: Tiata Fahodzi Website

Building on the success of Almeida Opera (1992-2007), in 2008 Islington's thriving bijou theatre offers the first Almeida Summer Festival, not only bringing opera, but also theatre and concerts to Almeida Street.

It all started back in the 80s when Pierre Audi (before he moved to Netherlands Opera) started the Almeida Festival and, even when the venue became a theatrical powerhouse under the joint artistic directorship of Ian McDiarmid and Jonathan Kent, opera was retained in a summer series of premières and commissions by the likes of Sir Harrison Birtwistle and Jonathan Dove.

The new look Almeida Summer Festival in 2008 opens with a co-production with the Aldeburgh Festival of Yannis Kyriakides and Daniel Danis' The Ocean of Rain, about three women who annually volunteer to work in Haitian orphanage, reconnecting with nature until a girl on the run for murder and a returning sex tourist interrupt their reverie. Anna Dennis, Camille Hesketh, Katalin Károlyi and Hyacinth Nicholls are directed by Cathie Boyd, with Bas Wiegers conducting the Dutch Ensemble MAE (10, 11 & 13 July).

Ensemble MAE also perform a concert of Yannis Kyriakides' Dream of the Blind and works by Eric Satie & Cor Fulher, Felix Profos, Felipe Waller & Martha Colburn, Robert Ashley and Claudio Baroni & Fabian Macaccio (12 July). Also in concert is Barb Jungr, returning after last year's sell-out for a programme entitled No Regrets (22 July at 8pm).

The festival continues with the European première of Adam Rapp's one man play, Nocturne, following an American teenager in the aftermath of his tragic accidental killing of his little sister. Peter McDonald stars and Matt Wilde directs, with music by Phillip Neil Martin (16-19 & 23-26 July at 7.30pm, with Saturday matinées at 3pm).

British African theatre company Tiata Fahodzi present a week-long festival of work from British African writers, with two staged readings per night (28 July - 1 August at 7.30pm; 2 August at 6pm), culminating in an African Music concert (2 August at 9pm).

Finally, in the Almeida's fourth collaboration with Tate Modern, Theatre of Possibilities brings together music by Pierre Henri, John Cage and Monteverdi, with mezzo Sally Burgess and the Almeida Ensemble conducted by Richard Bernas, to illuminate the life of octogenarian painter Cy Twombley, currently celebrated at the Tate (20 & 21 July).

Tourist Office

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