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Teatro San Cassiano: Turning the impossible dream into reality

One man's quest to build the world’s first public opera theatre, 200 years after it was demolished.

Do you have what seems like an impossible dream?

Maybe it’s to complete a marathon, swim with dolphins or win the lotto. Or, maybe, it’s to bring the world’s first public opera theatre back to life?

Well the latter is the "impossible dream" of Dr Paul Atkin, a business man and musicologist from the UK.

200 years after Teatro San Cassiano was demolished – apparently on the orders of Napoleon – Paul is attempting to recreate this lost opera house, so that the Baroque opera he loves can be performed in the very theatre it would have been composed for.

In a tale that’s as dramatic as any opera or World Cup final, join Ella-mai Robey for an episode of In the Studio, which reveals - before even a brick is laid – what it takes to try and turn an impossible dream into reality.

Presented by Ella-mai Robey
Produced by Rebecca Armstrong and Ella-mai Robey for the 91Èȱ¬ World Service

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 23 Jan 2022 19:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Tue 18 Jan 2022 04:32GMT
  • Tue 18 Jan 2022 05:32GMT
  • Tue 18 Jan 2022 11:32GMT
  • Tue 18 Jan 2022 21:32GMT
  • Tue 18 Jan 2022 23:32GMT
  • Sun 23 Jan 2022 02:32GMT
  • Sun 23 Jan 2022 19:32GMT