Robinson Crusoé

Robinson Crusoé is coming to the University of Exeter Campus Cinema on Friday 6 November, as a free screening of the opera with music by Jacques Offenbach. It's not a one-off here, though — it's part of a worldwide broadcast shown simultaneously in twin cities across the globe, so while we're watching it in Exeter, people in other cities are seeing the same thing at the same time.

The opera is presented by Rennes Métropole in France, and the whole thing is tied to the 70th anniversary of the twinning between Exeter and Rennes. That's the context that puts it in place: the two cities have been twinned for seven decades, and this is one of the ways they're marking it. Because it's a worldwide broadcast, each participating city takes part in the same cultural event but adapts it to its own local context, so the dates and times can shift depending on the country. For us, that lands on a Friday evening in early November.

As for the opera itself, it's based on the story of Robinson Crusoe, with music by the French composer Jacques Offenbach. If you're not familiar with him, he's best known for his operettas, and this is a screening of the production brought over from Rennes. It's a free event, so you don't need to worry about tickets — just turn up and take a seat.

Practical details: the screening is at the Campus Cinema, in the M&D Room of Devonshire House on Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4PZ. Doors open at 17:00, and the screening starts at 17:30, so if you want to get settled before the music kicks in, aim to be there a bit early. It's a free screening, and it's part of the 70th anniversary of the twinning between Exeter and Rennes.