A brilliant and surprisingly contemporary one-act opera for two voices and a chamber ensemble, set in the bar of a modern Edinburgh theater.
Lucy and Ben, a young couple, meet for one last drink before he departs. Ben wishes to propose marriage, but every attempt is thwarted by Lucy’s omnipresent cell phone: incessant calls, messages, and notifications seem to constantly overlay reality, preventing authentic connection.
In a comedic and poignant crescendo, Ben even tries to “disconnect” the phone, in a desperate attempt to reclaim space in the real world. But time is running out, and the train departs.
Only then, now outside the bar, does Ben make the only possible gesture: he calls Lucy from a phone booth and, kneeling, finally proposes. The two are able to truly connect at last, and Lucy accepts; their final duet, tender and light, seals a union made possible precisely by that device which until moments before seemed an insurmountable obstacle. With sharp irony, Lucy ends the scene by asking Ben to memorize her number: a gesture that reverses the power of the phone and transforms it into a vehicle of intimacy.
A romantic comedy with a bittersweet undertone, subtly reflecting on how technology, while facilitating communication, can also take away space for genuine encounter. The contemporary setting of the bar, with dim lighting and urban atmospheres, emphasizes the contrast between the speed of the modern world and the slowness needed to truly listen.

Director: Daisy Evans Story: Opera by Gian Carlo Menotti, libretto and music by Menotti Screenplay: digital adaptation conceived by Daisy Evans for the modern context (2020, smartphone) Camera operator: Carlo D’Alessandro Music: original score by Gian Carlo Menotti, performed by the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, conducted by Stuart Stratford Set design: Loren Elstein Interpreters: Soraya Mafi (Lucy), Jonathan McGovern (Ben), Hannah Birkin (Bartender) Production: Scottish Opera in co-production with Edinburgh International Festival, project ‘My Light Shines’ On Distribution: Edinburgh International Festival YouTube channel Origin: United Kingdom (Scotland) Year: 2020 Running time: 25’