Composer Cameron Sinclair is in the middle of rehearsals when his mobile phone rings. The cheerful sounds of chattering children echo in the background as he good-naturedly agrees to take time out to discuss his latest project – a dramatic re-working of Bizet’s opera, Carmen, which will be performed as a ‘virtual opera’.
A what? Haven’t heard of a ‘virtual opera’ before? It’s not surprising, considering the performance is believed to be the first of its kind. About 250 schoolchildren, from six schools in the Kings Cross area of London, have been involved in workshops for the past few months to create a new multi-media version of Carmen to be performed simultaneously on-screen and on stage – for all the world to see.
