A reclusive widow, a loyal servant, an angry creditor and a pair of pistols
William Walton's witty one-act opera The Bear was filmed and recorded live on location over two days in April 2021. Now we're excited to share it with you as we stream the film across six nights in November.
The widow Popova has given up on life. Locking herself inside her country house, she vows to surrender her happiness in a show of devotion to her late husband. But when Smirnov arrives to demand payment for her husband's debts, a heated argument is turned on its head as he and Popova fall furiously in love, to the astonishment of Popova's servant, Luka.
The Bear reunites the cast and creative team of our acclaimed 2019 production of Il segreto di Susanna, including Clare Presland, Richard Burkhard and John Savournin. The film was directed by John Wilkie, conducted by John Andrews, designed by takis and filmed by Simon Wall. It also features members of our resident orchestra, the City of London Sinfonia.
If you want to learn more about the film, you can watch the trailer below.
The Bear will be screened online at 7.30pm on 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 November. You will need to book a ticket in order to watch the film during any of these screenings.
The film is pay what you feel, so please consider adding a donation to Opera Holland Park as part of your ticket order.
