South Tipperary Arts Centre in partnership with Finding a Voice Festival are delighted to host Out of the Ordinary/As an nGnách, an exciting new Virtual Reality Community Opera from Irish National Opera developed for and with people living across Ireland.

Out of the Ordinary/As an nGnách tells the tale of a community forced to flee their barren homeland, which, due to their own actions, can no longer sustain them. Nalva, our main character, builds a boat to take her people on an epic journey to find a new home.

But as they begin their voyage, they don’t realise they are being pursued. Daol, a powerful force of nature, furious at being released from the leached soil, churns up the seas and causes a huge storm, plunging the boat underwater.

When Nalva and her people eventually resurface, they find themselves at a new and unfamiliar land. Can they make a home here? Will they learn to live in harmony with nature, or will they repeat the mistakes of the past? And will the destructive energy of Daol find peace, or will she continue to wreak havoc? It’s all to play for. Why not climb aboard? Written by composer Finola Merivale and librettist Jody O’Neill working with director Jo Mangan and students from rural Ireland and communities from Inis Meáin, Tallaght and South Dublin. A world of opera you can carry around on your head.

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The experience takes around 35-40 mins. Show times at 1:30, 2:30, 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30pm on both 19th & 20th October.

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Because the virtual reality headsets obscure the outside world, the opera will be shown to small groups in a controlled environment. The space and all of the equipment will be fully sterilised between showings. The opera is open to people aged 14 and upwards, but is not suitable for people who are pregnant or who have a range of medical conditions.

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For a full list see User Considerations on:

http://outoftheordinary.irishnationalopera.ie/en/experience-the-opera

This project is in partnership with Finding a Voice Festival (https://www.findingavoice.ie)

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