THE NATURE OF LOVE

“The nature of love is a pretty big theme in this work – the love between a new couple, (Dido and Aeneas), but also the love between friends – Dido, Belinda and the 2nd Lady. This is often expressed through the ease in which the performers embrace each, fix costumes, nit-pick – the small ways in which we are allowed to show love and affection.”

1. What did you think the story said about the true nature of love?
   
   
2. In what ways did you identify with the characters and their portrayal of love? How did it relate to your life?
   
   
3. What theatre and performance techniques did the actors use to bring this theme to life? Give some examples where you think this was most effective.

FATE

“Dido & Aeneas often touches on the idea of fate and the conflict between making an active choice to fall in love vs. the idea of star-crossed lovers of fate ‘making’ you fall in love. In this case, fate intervenes to separate Dido and Aeneas, but the work really investigates how much this is a choice – to follow fate or determine your own future.

1. In what ways does fate and choice play a part in progressing the story?
   
   
2. How was fate represented through dialogue, movement, design, and sound in the show?
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THE ACT OF PERFORMANCE

“Another key aspect of the show is the act of performance itself. The queen is expected to behave/perform in a particular way, but the score itself is filled with structured dances that make the act of performance very present throughout the opera. The characters know they are performing – it’s highly stylised, and we’ve extended this further, really playing in the realism of the absurd and unnatural.”

1. Think of a time in your own life when you’ve been expected to perform or act a certain way to fit the status-quo. How did it make you feel? How was that experience like the performance you saw in the show?
   
   
2. What technique, objects, or technologies were used to heighten the sense of performance throughout the show?