THE BAT

Happy is the man who doesn’t dwell on things he cannot change. Really? Easier said than done! Dr Falke can never forget the indignity he suffered years ago and is gleefully cooking up his “revenge of the bat”. It will see an elderly gent, Eisenstein, skipping a day of prison time to attend Prince Orlofsky’s party, where the champagne flows freely in a riot of deception and self-deception.

Johann Strauss shines a light on the dreams and desires of the bourgeoisie. And it’s not hard to laugh at ourselves with this witty composer churning out hit after musical hit. “Happy the man who can forget” – as true today as it was at the world premiere.