Time flies so quickly here! It’s hard to keep track of what is accomplished per day let alone summarise a week! Hopefully I can reflect and provide a snippet of the activities that have occurred this week.
It has been such a pleasure working with David Gately on the character portrayal and staging of Gretel in Humperdinck’s “Hänsel and Gretel“. A very lively and energetic movement that includes dancing on tree stumps, sewing socks, teasing brothers, hiding from an angry mother, weaving a crown of flowers and much much more. I don’t think I’ve ever been so busy on a stage! I love it and I have learnt so much from this process. I have found that the most important thing that I’ve learnt is to always have your feet facing your focus, I sometimes sing at such peculiar angles and it’s as if my feet always want to face centre stage (whoopsie!) maybe it’s a dancers thing or perhaps I have rather Divaish feet! Haha 🙂 this has actually improved my control and my breath support and also allows me to be free to move at any moment I wish.
During this week I have also worked alongside a great cast under the direction of Ophelia Wolf and together we have staged the entirety of “Die Zauberflöte” by Mozart, which culminated with a smooth run last Friday. It is very exciting and I like the twists that she has made to the plot and how our personal lives from this modern era can affect a great libretto and form a new interpretation. I am a second Knabe in this piece and it is lots of fun, I get to be childish and have quite dramatic emotions from frantic and worried to cheeky and playful. However I am seeing that perhaps my cheerful manner is encouraging me to get cast as young child. But to be honest I don’t mind a bit as I’m having loads of fun!
The third opera that I am taking part in is “Suor Angelica” which has been fully staged by the fabulous Patrizia di Paola, whose exciting energy is both intoxicating and contagious! It makes for a brilliant opera which swings between tragic and comedic moments similar to the musical “Annie”. As part of my role as the Novice I get to play a pregnant nun. I’m quite enjoying my role and the fact I have to wear a big yellow belly which I can rub, I feel like I’m playing house! Haha. But Mum and Dad don’t be worried I’m not broody! 🙂
We begin performances next week, so hopefully I will try to grab some pictures and possibly get a friend to tape some performances. All the best for the week ahead! Xxx