Hastings-based Prologue Opera is presenting its new production of Becoming Tosca. The production will be staged in theatres across East Sussex in July 2024, including The Stables Theatre, Hastings and Battle Abbey.

Becoming Tosca is an innovative and unique piece of drama, illuminating the earlier lives of the characters from Puccini’s original score and propelling the audience into the world of Floria Tosca. Becoming Tosca will bring an evening of revolution, romance and tragedy, combining newly composed music with a tango flavour and an abridged version of Puccini’s score.

An experienced team of local Hastings creatives are bringing Becoming Tosca to life. The founder of Prologue Opera, Anthony Flaum, will be performing in and producing the piece alongside a stellar cast of professional singers. Many of the cast and crew are local East Sussex residents, including operatic tenor Anthony Flaum, highly acclaimed composer Frank Moon, Designer Viva Halton Wright, Stage Manager Jane Richardson and Lighting Designers James Dean and Jonathan Richardson. In addition, cast member Harry Gentry is a new talent from the White Rock Youth Theatre and will be playing the young revolutionary Angelotti.

Tour dates

Becoming Tosca will be hosted at three local venues and tickets are available at prologueopera.com.

●      St John’s Evangelist, St Leonards On Sea: 2nd July

●      Battle Abbey: 9th July

●      Stable Theatre, Hastings: 23rd – 24th July

About Becoming Tosca

Catholicism and the appeal of dictatorship are never far from the surface in Puccini’s Tosca. Can revolution or religion change human nature? Can art be the agent of either or does it merely passively record the process? Becoming Tosca relocates the action to a Latin American setting in the 20th century; a nation founded on Jesuit colonisation, where religion now jostles with the politics of capitalism and self-interest. It is a society dominated by the struggle to exchange poverty for influence, still seeking solutions to all-pervasive inequalities and oppressions. Does the church love repentance or does it prefer punishment? Is brutality a necessary weapon to control a turbulent population? Even now, we do not have answers and until we do, these questions must continue to be examined.

The production has been developed by Prologue Opera’s CEO, Anthony Flaum. He commented: “We have created Becoming Tosca with the aim of bringing a traditional opera to new, local audiences. Our take on the classic Puccini opera is a vibrant interpretation of the earlier life of these powerful and intriguing characters with an exciting score with some Latin infusion, perfect for a summer evening’s entertainment.

“The majority of our cast and crew are East Sussex residents and we have a combined passion to bring a new type of art to local theatres. We are also thrilled to be investing in local talent and the addition of Harry Gentry from the White Rock Youth Theatre underlines our mission to create innovative arts experience for the local community.”

Cast list

Tosca – Anna Sideris

Scarpia – Brendan Collins

Cavaradossi – Anthony Flaum

Spoletta – Jonathan Cooke

Angelotti – Harry Gentry

Director, Script & Translation – Christopher Cowell

Designer – Viva Halton Wright

Stage Management – Jane Richardson

Lighting Designer – James Dean / Jon Richardson

Composer – Frank Moon

About Prologue Opera

Part theatre, part opera company, Prologue Opera is as passionate about entertaining audiences in its innovative productions as it is about reaching out to the community. Prologue Opera was founded by Hastings resident and experienced professional opera singer Anthony Flaum, who has sung principal roles for some of the UK’s leading opera companies.