Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde is being performed at Belfast Zoo between August 10 and 19, featuring local children from Northern Ireland's Chinese community and the National Children's Choir from China. Co-produced by the KT Wong Foundation and NI Opera, the production is a co-commission by the London 2012 Festival and the Cultural Olympiad. The opera will travel to Beijing in October in conjunction with the UK Now Festival - the first time an opera by Benjamin Britten has been performed to an audience in China.

Directed by NI Opera artistic director Oliver Mears and conducted by Nicholas Chalmers, the cast includes Paul Carey Jones and Doreen Curran, eight solo child singers, a chorus of over 80 children, nine professional musicians and 50 child musicians. Costumes and props have been constructed jointly by Chinese and British designers, exploring many of China's craft traditions.

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All photos © Jonathan Hession