Show sees the light of day after nearly a century and a half

Their autumn show is Belle Lurette by the master of comic operetta Jacques Offenbach, a little-known gem, written at the very end of the composer’s life in 1880. Belle Lurette follows two recent Offenbach productions by New Sussex Opera which were both very well received. The show will be touring three venues in Sussex with a final performance in London.

Director David Foster said: “It is certainly one of the lesser-known works and this was actually his last comic opera. He wrote it literally on his death bed and he never saw it performed. It is the typical Offenbach comic fluffy opera with the silly storyline but I do think there is a maturity to it. Compared to his other lesser-known comic operas you do feel that it is the work of a more mature composer. He was also writing Tales of Hoffman at the time, his last main serious work and he didn't get the chance to see either of them. Tales of Hoffman is much more performed, but with Belle Lurette maybe there was a sense that people thought he was writing just another comic opera but actually I'm surprised it's not been done more often.

“This is the third Offenbach we have done in the last three years and a bit, and there are a number of other lesser-known Offenbachs that we could have tackled but some are really quite inaccessible because of the need for larger choruses.

"I'd never heard of this one before it was suggested. There is actually a recording of it in German but not even that is complete but I do think it has got a good storyline. The music has this maturity to it that I personally think is lacking in some of his other works. I think it's a very fine piece and we have got a very witty new translation to use which was actually done by Paul Featherstone who is one of our principals. He is playing the baddie. It's a very witty translation from the original French.”

David is delighted to see the company putting Covid and all its frustrations behind it: “When we were starting the chorus rehearsals I was not sure if everybody would be coming back but we have got a very healthy chorus of 28 and we have got seven professional soloists that are joining us. The pandemic was very frustrating. The chorus missed coming to the regular rehearsals but they have been very keen to come back as soon as they were allowed to which is great.”

Performances are: November 20 (two performances) at 3pm and 7.30pm, Old Market, Hove, £37, £31; November 25, Eastbourne, Devonshire Park Theatre at 7pm, £38, £33, £28; and December 6, Bloomsbury Theatre, London at 7.30pm, £55, £44, £33, £28.

You can buy your tickets in advance at www.newsussexopera.org/bookings-details or you can pay at the door.