Summer Sweet & Sour

A delicious cocktail of classics by Puccini, Mozart, Verdi and more, in sparkling English translations with a contemporary twist, performed by the UK’s brightest and best.

A summer’s day. A picnic. And a story of five friends trying to make sense of life and love.
Is it finally time to grow up?

Told through brilliantly evocative music including the famous Habanera from Carmen and Verdi’s timeless Drinking Song from La Traviata, OperaCocktail will move, entertain and delight.

VENUES & DATES

Thursday 19 December Bridport Arts Centre


running time

Approximately 1 hour - no interval

accessibility

Please get in touch for more information about accessibility in all our touring venues

Suitable for all ages but not under 2s


“Opera with the gloves off”

WhatsOnStage

company

  • Felicity Buckland - Carmen (Mezzo)


    Felicity trained at the RNCM and on ENO’s Opera Works programme.

    Felicity’s 2023/4 season appearances included Flora La Traviata at ENO (cover); Rosina The Barber of Seville (Bradford Opera Festival); Amneris Aida (Kentish Opera); Meg Page Falstaff (West Green House Opera), and concert performances of Mendelssohn Elijah, Beethoven Symphony No.9, and world premiere scenes from Windrush by Desmond Oliver.

  • Flora Mcintosh - Carmen (Mezzo)


    Flora is a highly experienced and respected performer, facilitator and producer. She became Artistic Director of OperaUpClose in 2022 following a long association with the company singing multiple roles to great critical acclaim.

    Flora is passionate about co-creation, opening the creative process to audiences and local communities, and developing lasting multi-disciplinary partnerships across all creative industries.

  • Elspeth Wilkes - Joe (Piano)


    Elspeth has performed at the Royal Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall and several West End theatres and has worked with BBC Wales, the Royal Ballet and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

    Elspeth is the conductor of Thurrock Choral Society and assistant conductor of Barnes Choir and Putney Choral Society and is a member of the Bridgetower Chamber Ensemble.

  • James Longford - Joe (Piano)


    James Longford has a wide-ranging career as a collaborative pianist, soloist and chamber musician.

     James won the Tagore Gold Medal at the Royal College of Music and was organ scholar at St.Martin-in-the-Fields. A Junior Fellowship at the RCM followed, and artist residencies at the Banff Centre in Canada and the Britten-Pears School. He was delighted to be selected as a Steinway Artist in 2014. 

  • Aaron O'hare - Freddie (Tenor)


    Irish tenor Aaron O'Hare transitioned from baritone in 2021, having previously sung with leading companies across the UK and Ireland.

    Aaron joined Garsington Opera's Alvarez Young Artist's programme in 2016 and was a member of the Opera Holland Park Young Artists in 2018.

  • Andrew Henley - Freddie (Tenor)

    Andrew Henley - Freddie (Tenor)


    Hailing from Monmouth, British-Irish tenor Andrew Henley studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and is a graduate of the National Opera Studio, where he was supported by the WNO Sir John Moores Award.

    He was with winner of the 2019 Dunraven Young Welsh Singer of the Year and is the recipient of the 2023 John Scott Award from Scottish Opera.

  • Greg Hearle - Lenny (Clarinet)


    Greg studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Royal College of Music.

    He subsequently was a 2018 fellow of Southbank Sinfonia, an orchestra made up of graduates from around the world. Now based in North London, Greg freelances throughout the UK with orchestras such the RPO, BBCSO, Britten Sinfonia, and Royal Northern Sinfonia.  

  • Claire Wild - Tanya (Soprano)


    Claire is passionate about opera and bringing it to new audiences. She has performed across the UK and Europe.

    Notable performances include Baba Yaga Wolf Witch Giant Fairy (Royal Ballet & Opera); Lilli Vanessi/Katharine Kiss Me, Kate, Emma Khovanshchina,Elle La voix humaine (Welsh National Opera); Caridad The Skating Rink (Garsington Opera); Gretel Hansel and Gretel‚ Zerlina Don Giovanni and title role L’enfant et les sortilèges‚ (Opera North).

  • Elinor Jane Moran - Tanya (Soprano)


    Elinor studied voice at Chetham’s School Of Music and The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she won the Worshipful Company of Horners’ Becker Scholarship and the Tracey Chadwell Memorial Prize for Contemporary Song.  

    Elinor was a soloist on a SONY BMG recording "The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan" which reached the top of the Classical Chart and can be heard on Blossom Street’s new Naxos recording of choral music by female composers “This Day”.   

  • Bobbie-Jean Henning - Assistant Director

    Bobbie-Jean Henning is a creative who works across stage and screen. Most recently she was associate director on the UK tour of Carmen Reimagined. She's directed shows for Edinburgh, Adelaide and Sydney Fringe Festival, and was the 2022 recipient of WAAPA's Professional Mentorship for Directing. She also directed the short film, You, Me & Him which has been shown at film festivals internationally.  

    As a writer her solo shows have toured nationally, and her online comedy series The Power of The Dream was nominated for an AWGIE.

  • Anna Kelsey - Designer


    Anna is a designer based in London. She works across multiple disciplines including theatre, musicals, opera and screen. Recently she has designed the costumes for ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ which is transferring to the West End later this year. 

    She has worked at the Royal Shakespeare Company as resident assistant designer, is an associate artist at The Watermill Theatre and was shortlisted for the JMK 2023.

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