Cape Town opera premiere

The newest work by composer Dr Robert Fokkens is set to premiere this month as part of a special event showcasing South Africa’s finest and freshest operatic talent.

Four notable South African composers – including Dr Fokkens, a composition lecturer at the School of Music – have teamed up with acclaimed writers to create half-hour works that tell contemporary African stories in imaginative new ways.

Four:30 Operas Made in South Africa is run by Cape Town Opera Company, in collaboration with the UCT Opera School and funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund.

Dr Fokkens' work, called The Application, tells the story of an old lady wishing to travel to the UK for her grandson's wedding. She has never left South Africa before and must apply to Home Affairs for her first ever passport - a process which proves rather more troublesome that she expected. Dr Fokkens worked with director Geoffrey Hyland and librettist Laurence Allen, an award-winning playwright and director from Pontypridd.

The operas will premiere in Cape Town on Wednesday 25 November, with further performances from 26-28 November.