About

Mary is a contemporary opera imagined by Clara Olivares, inspired by the life and work of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. This intimate musical biopic explores the major stages of her life, from birth to death, including her loves, losses, and hallucinations.


Designed for a single soprano performing all roles, Mary uses real-time electronics to transform the voice, accompanied by puppets and a chamber ensemble, in an interdisciplinary operatic form where the voice becomes multiple, a mirror, a memory.


“I had the idea of giving an artificial voice to puppets through real-time electronics. The puppets’ voices emanate from Mary herself. This extreme focus on a single singer, alone among her doubles, reveals an entire life in great simplicity.” – Clara Olivares

Premiere (2017–2020) – Ensemble XXI.n

• Composition & libretto: Clara Olivares
• Stage direction: Cécile Huet
• Set design & painting: Jaime Olivares
• Puppets: Jaime Olivares, Dorine Cochenet, Frédérique Hault-Charlier
• Construction: Jean-François Frering with Urban Edte
• Costumes: Pascale Manigaud
• Lighting design: Jérôme Rivelaygue
• Electronic sound device: Anaïs Georgel
• Voice of Percy: Vincent Bouchot
• Soprano: Annabelle Bayet (stage premiere) / Sarah Brabo-Durand (concert premiere)
• Ensemble XXI.n:
  • Szuhwa Wu – violin
  • Pierre Fourcade – cello
  • Yannick Herpin – clarinets
  • Claude Georgel – saxophones

Performances between 2017 and 2020:

• Théâtre Gérard Philipe (Frouard)
• Cité de la Musique (Strasbourg)
• Le Dépôt (Senones)
• Auditorium de La Louvière (Épinal)
• Théâtre d'Auxerre

Revival (2023) – Festival Next Opera Days

• Coproduction Ars Musica / Théâtre de La Balsamine – Brussels
• Composition & libretto: Clara Olivares
• Stage direction: Thomas Delord
• Singing / soprano-puppeteer: Romane Cabaret
• Musical direction: Bart van Beneden
• Instrumental ensemble:
  • George van Dam – violin
  • Eugénie Defraigne – cello
  • Jean-Marc Fessard – clarinet
  • Nele Tiebout – saxophone
• Electronic diffusion: Renaud Carton
• Puppets: Jaime Olivares
• Dates: November 17 and 18, 2023
• Venue: Théâtre de La Balsamine, Brussels

Teaser

Video teaser by Zélie Chalvignac and Anaïs Georgel, available at this link.