Penguin fairytale flies to Fairfield

11:55am Tuesday 24th June 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

When composer Alla Sirenko met a wild blue penguin in New Zealand, it gave her an idea.

The Ukrainian decided to write her own fairytale opera and such was its success that it premiered at London's Royal Opera House in 2001 and has a ten year contract at the Ukrainian Opera and Ballet Theatre of Lviv.

Now, after releasing a book based on the opera, Alla has begun touring a new version and revealed the story behind the fairytales conception.

"At the official presentation of the book by the Ukrainian Embassy last year, two songs from the opera were performed," she said, "and many people from the audience came up and said they wanted to have it in England again which is how it began a new life here.

"It's my own story. I met a real penguin in the wild in New Zealand and it's very rare that you touch penguins in the wild and I had that chance which inspired me to write a story.

"My penguin lived in a tropical island not in the Antarctic and we became friends which is how it came that I could write about a special penguin, a special friend."

With a team of singers and child dancers from the Russian Drama School, a fantastic visual display and magical effects with dancing butterflies, snowflakes, flowers, eagles and of course the Golden Penguin, the performance is sure to be one to be remember.

Alla, who graduated from Kiev as a pianist, from Lviv as a composer and from Tallinn as an organist before studying music at Cambridge, performed her own version of Ave Maria infront of Pop John Paul II and insists the tale of The Golden Penguin is for all ages.

"It's really for anyone from two until 92," she said."It's for people who enjoy fairytales. Lots of people like music and it's quite accessible for the whole family."

The Golden Penguin, Fairfield Halls, June 27, 1.30pm and 7.30pm, £15, children £8.50. Call 020 8688 9291 or visit fairfield.co.uk or thegoldenpenguin.com.