MAGIC FLUTE / TRYL, 2019

Directed by Ella Marchment
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Copenhagen Opera Festival
2019

Synopsis

Tryl – Danish for Magic – is Copenhagen Opera Festival’s family-friendly version of Mozart’s masterpiece The Magic Flute, with the storyline streamlined to focus on the opera’s three central couples: Papageno and Papagena; Tamino and Pamina; and the Queen of the Night and Sarastro.

We begin in the living room of the ageing Papageno, surrounded by his playful grandchildren. When they accidentally destroy the picture frame holding their grandparents’ wedding photo, they inadvertently cause an unexpected rip in the fabric time, and it’s as if the two lovers never met. The rip can only be repaired by reliving the story exactly as it originally happened, and time winds back to when Papageno was a lonely bird catcher in search of love.

The present day is presented through video, with grandfather Papageno – as the all-knowing narrator – recounting events from his earlier life as they take place on the stage, trying to guide the story towards its well-known happy ending.

Children in the audience can identify with the grandchildren in the video, who disappear after the chaos of the opening scene to be represented by the all children in the theatre.

Grandfather Papageno speaks to them throughout, asking for their help and to sing along at chosen points of the the story, bringing the magic of the play to life.