2-13 July 2008
Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival

Factory Theatre Mainspace
125 Bathurst Street (South of Queen at Adelaide)
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5V 2R2

Handel Acis and Galatea
Patrick Young – Director
Ashiq Aziz – Conductor, Music Director
Sara-Anne Churchill – Assistant to Music Director

Cast:
Thomas Macleay – Acis
Rosie Coad – Galatea
John Bacon – Damon
David Roth – Polyphemus

Chorus:
Rosie Coad, Stephen Erickson, John Bacon, Matthew Cassils, David Roth, other voice parts TBA

Baroque opera meets avant-garde video art at this year's Fringe Festival in the Classical Music Consort's production of Acis and Galatea by George Frederic Handel. Under artistic director Ashiq Aziz, Toronto's Classical Music Consort takes a daring step this summer by mounting the first ever complete opera at the Toronto Fringe Festival. The opera tells the tragic tale of Acis, a young shepherd, and Galatea, a beautiful water nymph, whose love is brutally thwarted by the cyclops Polyphemus. Mr. Aziz will conduct the orchestra, performing on period instruments, and seven singers from across Canada and the UK. Patrick Young's staging takes the ninety minute opera, originally composed in 1718, into the twenty-first century using video projections that explore the relationship of desire and longing, landscape and the body. This challenging production by a young and dynamic classical ensemble is sure to stand out at this year's festival.

5 Performances Only
3 July - 8:15pm
6 July - 4:45pm
8 July - 10:30pm
10 July - 12pm
12 July - 7:30pm

Admission: 10 dollars

Tickets are available through the following:
www.fringetoronto.com
www.factorytheatre.ca
416.966.1062