Cunning Little Vixen

In Janáček’s Příhody lišky Bystroušky (The Cunning Little Vixen), the human and animal realms come together in an enchanting way.

The forest is bursting with energy. Every spring brings new life. Badgers, frogs and birds seek their way to the light. In the village, however, time has come to a standstill. The Forester is old, and the village is
slowly dying out. Old friends gather in the pub to reminisce. Their time is almost up; rigid and stubborn, they cling to life.

But then the Forester meets a young vixen. Lively, mysterious, fast. She is different from the other animals. To his wife’s frustration, he takes her home and imprisons her. But she refuses to be chained. She escapes, yet the Forester cannot let her go. He keeps thinking about her obsessively. He must and will catch her again. Why is she pursuing him? What is she trying to teach him?
In Janacek’s famous masterpiece The Cunning Little Vixen, the students of the Dutch National Opera Academy demonstrate the extent to which life and death are intertwined and explore the relationship between man and nature.

Creative team

Chloe Rooke – conductor
Daniel van Klaveren – director
Maartje Prins – set & costume design
Tim van ’t Hof – lighting design
Leslie Pérez-Canto – assistant conductor
Demi Wals – assistant director 
Lukáš Zeman Czech – language coaching

Scenefoto’s – Reinout Bos

Cast

Aimee Kearney 
Mathilde Guedj 
Madeline Lee 
Maura Wesseling 
Pavel Zelenev
Jaap van der Wel
Milan de Korte
Cathal McCabe 
Salvador Simão
Román Bordón
Kasia Mandla
Clarisse Planchais
Laura Pimenta