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
Touring Spring and Summer 2025
1 to 3 May - Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol
15 May - Mansfield Palace Theatre
12 June - intoBodmin, The Old Library, Bodmin
13 July - Worthing Connaught Theatre and Studio
24 to 25 July - Ventnor Fringe, Isle of Wight
And more to be announced soon!
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.
-
Brenton Spiteri - Freddie (Tenor)
Australian-Maltese tenor Brenton Spiteri holds a double Bachelor in Arts and Music (Hons.) from the University in Melbourne, and also completed the opera course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is based in London where he is increasingly in demand on both the opera and concert platforms.
Brenton has been the recipient of a Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship from the Australia Council, as well as numerous other awards, including first prize in the Herald Sun Aria Competition.
-
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”.
-
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).
-
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.
-
Emily Wilson - Lenny (Clarinet)
Emily graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music with Distinction in 2016. During her studies Emily won the RNCM Gilbert-Fell prize for contemporary solo performance, a music at Beaulieu award and third prize in the Virovitica international clarinet competition. She currently freelances with major orchestras including the Halle, Opera North and Liverpool Philharmonic. Emily also has a passion for new music, and set up contemporary Pierrot ensemble Monday’s Child in 2023, following a scheme with Birmingham Contemporary Music group.
-
Flora Mcintosh - Director
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.
-
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.

Support us
In supporting OperaUpClose you will make a vital and direct contribution to our commissions and productions, securing the availability, impact and reach of this extraordinary artform both for today and for the future.