A true jack-of-all-trades in much the same way as singer and multi-instrumentalist Jack White, singer Damon Albarn, frontman of Britpop band Blur, co-creator of virtual band Gorillaz, and the album The Good, the Bad & the Queen, will present an entirely new creation at the upcoming Manchester International Festival, an opera called Doctor Dee.
The opera will debut with an eight-show run during the festival June 30 to July 17, 2011. Four years ago, Albarn co-created the opera Monkey: Journey to the West with Jamie Hewlett, where it debuted at the festival to much critical acclaim.
Doctor Dee is reportedly about John Dee, the medical and scientific advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. The BBC reports that the opera mixes history with intrigue, due to Dee’s reputation as an "alchemist, astrologer, and spy".
Albarn will take center stage as the title character, however full cast details have yet to be confirmed.
After its premiere at the festival in July, the production is slated to move to London for staging at the English National Opera as part of the city’s Cultural Olympiad.