STUMPED

‘So, I’m stumped, can I ask you about deforestation, d’you think?’

STUMPED is a brand new one-act chamber opera by Lewis Coenen-Rowe, bringing together five old stories from varied times and places that are all united by a shared theme: what happens when you mess with trees.

Why do people keep coming back to this theme and what does it tell us about human history? Are these stories or a warning, or does that just sound stupid? Join two users of an internet forum as they explore their way through these stories and wonder what they have to tell us about our relationship with forests today.

This world premiere performance brings together a phenomenal cast of musicians including singers Shuna Sendall and Lea Shaw and instrumentalists Alice Rickards, Sonia Cromarty, Andrew Connell-Smith and Robyn Anderson, conducted by Thomas Butler. Artistic direction by Cecilia Stinton and scenography by Hunter Muir.

The performance will be preceded by a discussion with leading experts on trees, forests and how these have been interpreted by human art and storytelling, including artist and forester Amy Clarkson, researcher Dr Ophira Gamliel, and Sally Clark from the campaign Biofuelwatch. There will also be opportunities to learn about local environmental groups and how they are helping to preserve and restore our local natural heritage.

Tickets are available at £15 on a pay-what-you-can basis. Please purchase tickets for either the 6pm or the 8.15pm performance. All tickets include the discussion with invited speakers taking place at 7pm.

Accessibility

The venue is wheelchair accessible. If you have access requirements, please share these using the question box when booking your tickets. If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact us.

STUMPED is funded by the Creative Scotland Open Fund.