Original version of War and Peace set for Festival Theatre

THE epic original version of Prokofiev's War and Peace is to be staged at the Festival Theatre this month.

The three-hour production features more than 230 cast, crew and musicians.

It will be premiered by the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and Scottish Opera in Glasgow shortly before its arrival in the Capital on 28 January.

It is the culmination of a two-year project to reconstruct the score from the composer's manuscripts.

Producer Dr Rita McAllister made several visits to Russia to see the composer's original papers to bring the production to the stage.

The original score was begun in the months leading up to the Second World War, and was first finished in the spring of 1942, but after failing to find approval with soviet authorities, it was subject to continual revision for 11 years, until Prokofiev's death in 1953.

General director of Scottish Opera Alex Reedijk said: "We are thrilled to be collaborating once again with the RSAMD. This is a great opportunity for their young musicians and singers to work directly with the orchestra of Scottish Opera in presenting an opera of this ambitious scale."