Show based on Mozart's opera to be staged in Beijing

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Theatrical play The Magic Flute, a production of Mozart's opera of the same title by the Komische Oper Berlin and British theater group 1927, is being staged in Beijing from July 21 to 23 at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center.

The show, which has featured an animated film, live action, a silent movie and actors, premiered at the Komische Oper Berlin in 2012 and has been touring the world since then.

Before being brought to Beijing, it was staged in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The Magic Flute is a two-act opera by Mozart set to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It premiered in 1791 in Vienna, just two months before the composer's death.

The story is about young prince Tamino being pursued by an evil snake, who then finds himself in the land of the Queen of the Night.

After the queen helps kill the snake, Tamino meets Papageno, the queen's birdcatcher.

Theatrical play TheMagic Flute, a production of Mozart's opera of the same title by the Komische Oper Berlin and British theater group 1927, is being staged in Beijing from July 21 to 23 at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Soon, it is revealed to Tamino that a king, Sarastro, has abducted the queen's beautiful daughter, Pamina.

After seeing her portrait, Tamino falls in love with her.

Later, with the help of a magic flute, given to him by the queen, Tamino and Papageno go on a quest to save Pamina.

Barrie Kosky, the artistic director of Komische Oper Berlin, says he always wanted to do a production of The Magic Flute, but he did not get round to doing it until he met artistic directors Paul Barritt and Suzanne Andrade in 2010.

Animator and illustrator Barritt founded the company 1927 along with writer-actress Suzanne Andrade in 2005.

The company has won acclaim with works, such as Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea and The Animals and Children Took to the Streets.

The Magic Flute marks 1927's first opera.