The golden dragon

Ópera de Tenerife presents, as part of its Ópera en minúscula pre-season, the innovative work «The golden dragon» by Hungarian composer Péter Eötvös. This new production, created by Auditorio de Tenerife, will premiere at the emblematic Teatro Leal de La Laguna.

The opera is based on the play of the same name, a contemporary performative tragedy with a grotesque tone by Roland Schimmelpfennig, recognised as the most performed living German author internationally. The production stands out for its powerful social critique, softened by intelligent humour that makes it accessible and appealing.

The plot unfolds one night in a multi-storey building. A young Chinese woman suffers from intense toothache in the kitchen of a Thai-Chinese-Vietnamese fast-food restaurant called El Dragón de Oro. Without a residence permit or financial resources, she cannot go to the dentist, and her colleagues are forced to try and pull her tooth. Meanwhile, the young woman is also searching for her missing sister. Throughout the play, her experiences intertwine with those of other residents in the same building, exploring various personal stories.

Interspersed within the main narrative is the fable of the cicada, who saves no provisions in summer and asks the ant for help to survive the winter. The ant agrees but exploits her in return, forcing her to work for free and later into prostitution. The cicada endures the abuse until she is severely injured by an old ant, and later, by a young ant.

Performances are scheduled for Friday 25 September at 19:00 and Saturday 26 September at 19:00, both at Teatro Leal.

Artistic Team

• Musical Director: Jordi Francés
• Stage Director: Bárbara Lluch
• Set Design: David Pizarro y Rober del Campo
• Lighting Design: Marc Gonzalo
• Costume Design: Clara Peluffo
• Choreography: Mercé Grané
• Production: Auditorio de Tenerife

Cast

• The young woman: Natalia Labourdette (soprano)
• The young man, Young Asian, Waitress, Grandfather, Chinese Aunt: Pablo García-López (tenor)
• The woman over 60, Old cook, Granddaughter, Ant, Hans, Chinese mother: Anna Gomá (mezzo-soprano)
• The man over 60, Old Asian, Eve, Granddaughter’s friend, Chinese father: Santiago Bürgi (tenor)
• The man, An Asian, Inga (the blonde stewardess), Chinese uncle, Cricket: Toni Marsol (baritone)
• AB Ensemble

If you're looking for things to do in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, don't miss this music and theatre event at Teatro Leal on 25/09. A prominent cultural highlight in the Metropolitan Area of Tenerife.