Spring Opera Scenes

Please silence mobile phones and other electronic devices during the performance.

If in a dark theatre, please consider fellow audience members by lowering the brightness of your display.

Photography and recording is not permitted during the performance.

Digital Concert Programmes at Guildhall School

Thank you for accessing the digital programme for Spring Opera Scenes. Over the course of our 2022–23 season we have been trialling digital programmes to reduce the environmental impact of our performances, improve accessibility and offer additional online material to enhance the audience experience. After the performance, please let us know what you think by filling in the survey below:

Part I

Britten The Turn of the Screw
Act 2 Scene 1

Miss Jessel                       
Vladyslava Yakovenko
Quint                                  
Jonah Halton

Répétiteur                        
Aleksandra Myslek

The ghosts of Miss Jessel and Peter Quint convene to plan how they will recruit innocent souls to their cause.

Handel Rinaldo
Act 3 Scenes 5&6

Armida                             
Holly Brown
Argante                             
Emyr Lloyd Jones

Répétiteur                        
Aleksandra Myslek

Argante and Armida decide to forgive each other’s infidelities and to make one last stand in battle, together.

Mozart La clemenza di Tito
Act 2 Scene 1

Annio                                 
Shana Moron-Caravel
Sesto                                  
Rachel Roper
Vitellia                              
Vladyslava Yakovenko
Publio                                
Jacob Harrison

Répétiteur                        
Yongqiu Yuan

Sesto has instigated a riot, which he believes has killed his friend and ruler, Tito. Annio assures him that Tito has survived and that Sesto should return to his side.

Sesto betrayed Tito at the behest of Vitellia, who arrives to convince Sesto to flee as, if he stays, he will be put to death and Vitellia will be exposed as the actual instigator. At that moment, Publio, a guard, arrives to arrest Sesto.

Donizetti L’elisir d’amore
Duet and Trio from Act 1

Adina                                 
Ana Balestra
Nemorino                        
Steven van der Linden
Belcore                              
Jacob Harrison

Répétiteur                        
Yongqiu Yuan

Nemorino, who is desperately in love with Adina, has got his hands on what he believes is a love potion. He was told it would take a day to take effect and he is convinced that it will work. Adina is perplexed by his new demeanour.

A peacocking sergeant, Belcore, returns, and Adina agrees to marry him but in six days, which will give the potion time to work in Nemorino’s favour...

Donizetti Maria Stuarda
Act 1 Scene 6

Elisabetta                          
Vladyslava Yakovenko
Maria                                  
Holly Brown
Anna                                  
Rachel Roper
Leicester                           
Jonah Halton
Cecil                                    
Alaric Green
Talbot                                 
Joseph Chalmers

Répétiteur                        
Yongqiu Yuan

Queen Mary is brought to Queen Elizabeth to beg for a pardon - and a stay from execution – but, when faced with her rival, the Queen of Scots cannot control her anger.

(INTERVAL)

Part II

Stravinsky The Rake’s Progress
Act 1 Scene 1

Ann Trulove                  
Yolisa Ngwexana
Tom Rakewell              
Steven van der Linden
Nick Shadow                 
Joseph Chalmers
Trulove                             
Jacob Harrison              

Répétiteur                        
Yongqiu Yuan

Tom Rakewell has grand plans for his future and rejects his prospective father in law’s persuasions to take work in the city.

An intriguing stranger, Nick Shadow, arrives...with news of a bright future for the young man. But is it too good to be true?

Bellini I Capuleti e i Montecchi
Duet from Act 1

Giulietta                           
Ana Balestra
Romeo                                
Rachel Roper
Lorenzo                             
Joseph Chalmers

Répétiteur                        
Aleksandra Myslek

Giulietta must get married, and not to the man she loves, Romeo. Lorenzo informs her that Romeo has sneaked in to see her. Romeo tries to convince Giulietta to run away with him, but she asks Romeo to understand that her duty lies with her family.

Massenet Werther
Act 3 Scene 1

Sophie                                
Yolisa Ngwexana
Charlotte                          
Shana Moron-Caravel

Répétiteur                        
Aleksandra Myslek

Sophie tries to convince her sister, Charlotte, to come back home to visit as she can tell that she is pining after Werther.

Britten The Turn of the Screw
Act 2 Scene 3

Miss Jessel                       
Vladyslava Yakovenko
Governess                        
Ana Balestra   

Répétiteur                        
Yongqiu Yuan

The Governess cannot find her way. She comes across the ghostly presence of Miss Jessel but refuses to give in to her.

Strauss Capriccio
Excerpt

Countess                           
Holly Brown
Count                                 
Alaric Green
Clairon                              
Shana Moron-Caravel
Flamand                           
Steven van der Linden
Olivier                                
Emyr Lloyd Jones
Direktor                            
Joseph Chalmers
Die Sängerin                   
Yolisa Ngwexana
Der Tenor                        
Jonah Halton 

Répétiteur                        
Aleksandra Myslek

At the Countess’s birthday party, her brother, the Count, goads a composer, a poet, and a director into discussing the merits of their art forms. An actress adds her thoughts, and two jobbing singers are recruited to add their voices to the argument. The director details his plans for the evening’s entertainment, which makes the poet and the composer irate.

Production Team

Stage Manager                            
Pete Reavey

Deputy Stage Manager          
Ed Jackson

Assistant Stage Manager   
Artie Cook
Eva Gaidoni

Production Manager                
Rylee McDaniel

Production Assistant                 
Lwls Davies

Technical Manager                    
Finley Wellspring

Video Operator                           
Eloise Soester-Gulliver
Arthur White

Production Electrician               
Bradley Halliwell

Lighting Programmer          
Daniel Ong Ker Yau
Ben Yeo

Props Coordinator                    
Iza Fordham

Prop Maker                                   
Ashe De Waal

Assistant Prop Maker              
Olivia Fowler
Batoul Ghallab
Katie Ranson

Scenic Art Coordinator            
Kyra Coppini

Scenic Artist                                   
Teia Johnson
Lola King

Assistant Scenic Artist              
Abbie Hardcastle

Costume Assistant                    
Livia Mackenzie
Alec Schneider              
Emily Cave

Additional Staff

Producer                                          
Stuart Calder

Opera Department Manager           
Steven Gietzen

Stage Management Staff Supervisor
Caroline Moores
Chantal Hauser

Video Staff Supervisor            
Pete Wallace

Costume Supervisor
Pippa Batt       
Nikki Weston

Lighting Staff Supervisor        
Nick Peel

Staff Production Manager
Julia Birmingham

Wigs, Hair & Make-up            
Lucia Mameli

Fight Director
Jonathan Waller

Intimacy Director
Abigail Kessel

Movement Director
Caitlin Fretwell-Walsh

 

With additional thanks to Agatha Giannini, El Harper, Tom Shackleton, Hannah Williams, Ida Pontoppidan, Emelia Bourne & Eli Hunt

Guildhall School Scholarships Fund

Each year the Scholarships Fund enables talented young actors, musicians, production artists and theatre technicians to take up their places or continue their studies at Guildhall School. We are extremely grateful to the many trusts, foundations, businesses, City livery companies and individuals who make annual donations to the Scholarships Fund, and to those people who make provision for legacy donations in support of the School in their wills. Production Arts and opera students involved in these scenes who have received support from the Scholarships Fund and from external donors are as follows:

Répétiteurs

Aleksandra Myslek Guildhall Scholar
Yongqui Yuan Guildhall Scholar

Opera Students

Ana Balestra The Anne Pashley Opera Scholar & Weavers' Scholar

Holly Brown Behrens Foundation Scholar & Wax Chandlers' Scholar

Joe Chalmers Elizabeth Sweeting Award Scholar

Alaric Green Fishmongers' Music Scholar & Sophie's Silver Lining Fund Scholar

Jonah Halton Carpenters' Company Henry Osborne Scholar

Jacob Harrison Behrens Foundation Scholar

Vladyslava Ionascu-Yakovenko Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers' Scholar

Emyr Lloyd Jones Horners' Becker Scholar & Tobacco Pipe Makers' Scholar

Shana Moron-Caravel Sally Cohen Opera Scholar

Yolisa Ngwexana Margery & Frederick Stephen Wright Eisinger Scholar, Dow Clewer Foundation Scholar, Gwen Catley Scholar (The Amar-Franses & Foster-Jenkins Trust), & Innholders' Scholar

Rachel Roper Marianne Falk Award Scholar

Steven van der Linden Grocers' Scholar

Production Arts Students

Artie Cook Guildhall Scholar        

Kyra Coppini Guildhall Scholar        

Iza Fordham Guildhall Scholar        

Bradley Halliwell Guildhall Scholar        

Abbie Hardcastle Guildhall Scholar        

Teia Johnson Leathersellers’ Scholar        

Rylee McDaniel B&T Scholar, Tallow Chandlers' Scholar, & Norman Gee Foundation Scholar

Daniel Ong Ker Yau Guildhall Scholar      

Katie Ranson Guildhall Scholar        

Pete Reavey Guildhall Scholar        

Eloise Soester-Gulliver Guildhall Scholar        

Arthur White Guildhall Scholar