Worlds Unleashed

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Zeus was the king of the gods. His jealous queen, Hera, tricked Semele, telling her to ask Zeus to come to her, not in human form but in his full splendour. Zeus granted this favour and Semele was consumed by his lightning fire as from her pregnant womb their son Dionysus was born (the Latin name for Dionysus is Bacchus). 

The story of Semele was made into an opera by Handel, which premiered in London in 1744. I love Handel; he is a great composer whose operas are wonderfully human, ironic and sexy – and great music is timeless. To open the Herrenhausen Festival (Hannover, Germany, 27 May – 19 June) Handel’s work was magically transformed into Semele Walk, a musical – theatrical performance staged in the perfectly restored baroque gallery where ancestors of Britain’s George I once held banquets – a wonderful setting for the catwalk that forms the stage.  

The theme of the Festival is ‘Worlds Unleashed’ – which focuses on the danger we face from runaway climate change (once it hits +2 degrees). The key speaker at the opening was Lord Giddens, who is passionately convinced of the urgency needed to stop climate change. I agree with him about the urgency to find a solution and believe the weight of public opinion must be brought to bear on business and government. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend the opening night as I was in Africa – but you can watch the video I made to be shown at the event and hear my thoughts on the issue.

 Semele Walk incorporated fashions from my spring/summer 2011 Gold Label collection, ‘Get a Life,’ which is all about climate change and saving our planet, Gaia. We also specially designed key outfits for the performers and musicians which added to the baroque grandeur of the story and reflected the famous gallery where it was performed. Baroque is the tension between restraint and grand gesture. My clothes echo this – they have a dynamic rapport with the body which is body conscious and keeps you centred and moves with every breath. 

‘Worlds Unleashed’, combining art and music, takes place in the spectacular Herrenhausen Gardens, Hannover, Germany, with performances in the Orangerie or Gallery, a baroque banqueting hall. www.hannover.de/kunstfestspiele/index.html. 

Many people think that the cost of going to the opera is out of their reach. This simply isn’t true! In London, The Royal Opera House has schemes which cater for any budget. Standard tickets range from £4 – £120 depending on the individual production.
You can save money by going in person to the Box Office Link, Bow Street at 10.00 am to get tickets for that evening’s performance (£6 – £52) – only a limited number are available so it’s worth checking.
The Royal Opera House also has a £10 Student Standby scheme. Unsold tickets are available to students who sign up – you’ll then be notified about availability. Visit www.roh.org.uk/studentstandby for more information.
Booking for the autumn season opens to the public on July 5 2011. For standing tickets, you need to book as far in advance as possible. The autumn season starts mid September. Please check the website for programme details. (+44 (0)20 7304 4000 www.roh.org.uk)

Treat yourself to an experience that could change the way you look at life; I’ll let you know my thoughts on the performances I attend – and would love to hear yours.