Presenting: Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus (The Bat)

Die Fledermaus is a German operetta, accompanied by a libretto written by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée. It was first performed in Vienna in 1874, and its first performance in English followed in 1876, at London's Alhambra Theatre.

The show concerns Gabriel von Eisenstein, a wealthy, married man who is sentenced to 8 days in jail for assaulting a policeman. Meanwhile, his friend Dr. Falke is determined to get revenge on Eisenstein for an embarrassing event that involved Eisenstein abandoning an intoxicated Falke, dressed as a bat, and exposing him to ridicule by the public.

Eisenstein is encouraged to attend a party hosted by Prince Orlofsky, who has given Falke permission to use the event as a way of getting back at Eisenstein, and therefore he also invites Eisenstein's wife Rosalinda, her maid Adele and Frank, a prison governer, all in different guises to help Falke to get his revenge.

Die Fledermaus is being shown at the King's Theatre in Southsea from the 1st to the 3rd of March, with an evening performance on each date and an extra matinee performance on the 3rd.

The cast list for Die Fledermaus is as follows:

Gabriel von Eisenstein, a man of private means - Paul Bruce

Doctor Falke, a friend of Eisenstein's - Christian Morrall

Colonel Frank, the Prison Governor - Tom Harrison

Doctor Blind, a lawyer - Philip Donald

Alfred, an opera singer - Matt Cooper

Frosch, a prison warder - Ross Stephenson

Rosalinda von Eisenstein, Gabriel's wife - Emily Buck

Adele, the Eisenstein's parlour-maid - Sophie McAdam Clark

Prince Orlofsky, a wealthy Russian aristocrat - Vicki Hathaway

Ida, a ballet dancer, Adele's sister - Sarah Fothergill

Solo Singers - Natalie Wilsher and Aislinn Shivakumar