Les Mamelles de Tirésias – Francis Poulenc

Eduard Ferenczi Gurban will appear in the upcoming touring production of Francis Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias with the
Opéra national du Rhin, a sparkling and irreverent opéra bouffe inspired by Guillaume Apollinaire’s surrealist play.

Created in 1947 at the Opéra-Comique, Les Mamelles de Tirésias remains one of Poulenc’s most inventive and audacious works. Beneath its comic exuberance lies a strikingly modern reflection on gender identity, freedom, power, and the many forms of love. Absurd, provocative, and deeply human, the opera unfolds in a succession of dazzling musical styles and playful pastiches.

This new production, conceived as an “Opéra volant”, is presented in the mobile version adapted for two pianos by Benjamin Britten and Viola Thunnard, allowing the work to travel beyond the traditional opera house. Directed by Jean-François Kessler, the staging transports audiences to the carefree atmosphere of a 1950s dream beach, combining visual lightness with theatrical wit. Designed for both adults and younger spectators, the production highlights the work’s accessibility, humor, and enduring relevance.

Eduard Ferenczi Gurban takes on multiple roles in this lively score — Le Directeur, Monsieur Presto, and Le Fils — demonstrating his versatility and strong theatrical presence within the ensemble of the Opéra Studio de l’Opéra national du Rhin.

A joyful, intelligent, and delightfully subversive opera, Les Mamelles de Tirésias promises an engaging encounter with one of the most imaginative voices of 20th-century French music.