The Opera House in Bournemouth re-launches with huge line-ups and events!

On Friday 1st June 2007 the doors of the Opera House in Boscombe will open once more to reveal its restored Victorian splendour, following a multi-million pound refurbishment, and begin a three day entertainment line-up which promises to be sensational.

Radio 1 DJ, Jo Whiley, will cut the ribbon to re—launch the venue and compere a night of indie mischief featuring some of the most exciting indie rock ‘n’ roll bands around with back to back performances from winners of the Philip Hall Radar Award 2007, The Twang, the legends that are The Young Knives, the mighty Holloways, with more to be confirmed, and all rounded off with DJ sets from The Futureheads, Jo Whiley and other top DJ’s taking the party through to 5am!

Saturday 2nd June sees the venue transformed into an intimate jazz club for the evening to welcome contemporary jazz legend Courtney Pine. Prior to the relaunch this year of his classic 'Modern Day Jazz Stories' (a Mercury Music Prize Album of The Year), Courtney will be performing old favourites alongside first airings of new album material and gems from his current 'Resistance' set bringing together jazz, reggae, hip hop and drum and bass influences. This is an unmissable show from one of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived.

Britain’s funniest comedian Omid Djalili rounds up the celebrations for the launch weekend with his truly magnificent comedy show on Sunday evening, 3rd June. After an amazing return to the Edinburgh Fringe with record-breaking ticket sales this show transferred to London for yet another hugely successful season, which included two extra sell-out performances at the world famous London Palladium.

Ester Gill, Group Entertainments Manager said, “It’s a pleasure to be working within such a magnificent venue and we are looking forward to bringing outstanding entertainment to the South Coast. Our aim is to create events and gigs that are like no other, with quality and creativity at the top of our agenda. We will offer a vast array of musical and other entertainment genres, offering something for everyone and allowing the venue truly to be passed back to the community.”

Tickets go on sale on the 9th March and are available by calling the box office number on 08701 989898, also visit www.operahouse.co.uk for all of the forthcoming acts to the Opera House.

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Notes to editors:
About the Opera House

The Victorian venue opened on 17th May 1895 as the Boscombe Grand Theatre and between 1896 and 1890, two well-known dramas, 'Trilby' and 'La Dame aux Camellias,' were played there. Numerous famous music hall acts followed and, more recently, many famous bands have played at the Opera House including Pink Floyd and Status Quo in 1968, Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy in 1971 and David Bowie in 1972. Other acts known to have held concerts at the venue include, Deep Purple, The Faces, Canned Heat, T-Rex, Hawkwind, Colosseum, Freedom, Joe Jammer and Slade.

The Opera House is a truly versatile venue offering a variety of layout options for events. The ground floor of the main auditorium can provide banquet style dining, theatre style seating, or standing room only for concerts. At first floor balcony level, the two grand Royal Boxes, accommodating 20 people, and a number of intimate booths, each seating up to six people, will provide fantastic views of the stage. The ‘Gods’ which have been closed to the public for several decades, have been opened up and the original Victorian seating carefully restored under the watchful eye of the Local Authority Conservation Department with whom there has been close co-operation throughout. Members of the audience seated in the Gods will enjoy the clearest of sound in this part of the theatre.