The Little White Town of Never Weary

I’m really excited to announce that I am working with Scottish Opera’s Education Department on their touring production of ‘The Little White Town of Never Weary’.

LWTNW opera

It is an interactive show for 5-8 year olds and their families. The tale is inspired by the illustrated story of the same name by “Glasgow Girl” and artist, Jessie M King; next year will be the 100th anniversary of the publication of the book.

In the interactive music adventure I play Jessie Junior who meets some fabulous characters; Gilbert; Dame Lucky; Sweetie Meg; and Boofoo the Talking Cat together we repair the town made from ‘cardboard’. The story will challenge and encourage the children to think about the area around them and how the buildings were they all live help to create a wonderful place to grow up.

It ties in nicely with 2016 being Scotland’s year of innovation, architecture and design. It has been a pleasure to work with the whole team over the past two weeks and I’m looking forward to our last week of production next week.

We will be going on tour to Kirkcudbright, Musselburgh, Falkirk, Aberdeen & Glenrothes from 26 May to 10 June. It will be a wonderful way to celebrate the end of my undergraduate degree and get some experience working in a company. I’m very grateful to Scottish Opera for the Experience.

Here are some pictures from rehearsal with my fellow performers, Francis Thorburn, John Kielty and Stuart Semple, learning so much from these guys, as well as my wonderful director Julie Brown and Music Director and Composer the fabulous Karen McIver. To help make our rehearsals run smoothly we have worked with Katy Nicolson, Paul Nobel and Dougal Gudim our talented technical stage management team. I wish I could show you a photo of the set its exciting and will intrigue the children, but you don’t need to be seven to watch it! It has been such a treat to work with such lovely people. I can’t wait to start again on Monday.

With-The-Cast-Of-TLTONW-01
Stuart Semple, Me, Francis Thorburn and John Kielty
With-The-Cast-Of-TLTONW-02
Karen McIver, Me, Julie Brown, Stuart Semple, Francis Thorburn and John Kielty

After a busy full week, as I’m also keeping on top of my preparations for my final recital, I was able to watch Scottish Opera’s ‘Mikado’ by Gilbert and Sullivan on Saturday night at the Theatre Royal. This brilliant comic opera by the British duo was incredibly humorous and fun to watch from curtain up to the bows.

Outside-The-Theatre-Royal
On my way in to the Theatre Royal to watch ‘The Mikado’

The comic timing between the company seemed effortless and was very effective in producing lots of tummy tickling moments. The set was fantastic and looked like a colourful Chinese pop-up book on super large scale. I particularly liked the giant skeleton and the male chorus of decapitated heads! Special congrats to cast and the Scottish Opera team for pulling the show together despite the unexpected and superbly executed fire alarm evacuation.

Outside-After-The-Interval
Outside during the evacuation

It made the night even more memorable and unique especially when Pooh-Bah warns Ko-Ko of the imminent arrival of the Mikado by exclaiming ‘This isn’t a false alarm!’ causing rapturous laughter from all of the audience. This show is now on tour around Scotland and is going to Newcastle upon Tyne, Bristol and Southampton if you need cheering up or just a good laugh go to see this show 🙂

The-Mikado

64 thoughts on “The Little White Town of Never Weary”

  1. sounds like awesome fun – love the name of the production. Enjoy yourself – well that goes without saying really doesn’t it.

    Reply

    1. Thank you 😊 I’ve put the link to Scottish Operas’ Twitter photos @choathersings if you’d like to see them, I haven’t permission to put them on my blog yet.
      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  6. Great, nice news Charlotte ! Congratulations for all your work ! Thanks for sharing ! fingers cross for your final recital and with this nice touring production ! Proud of you and best wishes for you and all the team !

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  7. A lovely post, Charlotte, with such a happy feel to it! Your new production for children sounds like fantastic fun, and I’m sure the kiddies will love it. I wish you the very best for your final recital, too. What an exciting time this seems to be for you all round.

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    1. I’m really excited to perform for this age group, children are so unpredictable it’s exciting, the children will get to see a variety of instruments, hear classical music and interact with the performance. Thanks Millie,
      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  8. Looking forward to coming up to see you perform your finals, and I am so proud of you and everything you have achieved. Just shows that all your hard work brings its rewards. 😘

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  9. What a wonderfully fun and fantastic weekend! A fire alarm, really?
    Charlotte, you are a very busy lady. Best wishes on your finals.

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    1. Thanks Darlene, it’s good to see everyone leaving in an orderly way, it was well managed and it was sorted quickly. I was caught out once in a swimming pool in a hotel and they had a fire alarm that was worse, I did pick up a towel 😳.
      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  12. Love the Mikado – one of my favorites and a delightful way to spend an afternoon or evening. Do send us photos of your touring production – can’t wait to see them!

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    1. I really hope Scottish Opera allow me to share photos and I was really happy they gave me permission to share this news on my blog.
      Best wishes Noelle,
      Charlotte

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  14. I’m sure you’ll have such fun on the tour! I love the Mikado – in fact I like most G and S operettas very much. Good luck again for your final recital.

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  17. I first had my ears opened to the wonders of music when, at the age of 16, I went to an amateur production of the Mikado, at Banstead village hall. I love your expression, “tummy tickling moments”: super!

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  18. What a splendid time you must be having, Charlotte! Best wishes for the opening of your production–I’m sure you’ll be a smashing success, as always. And I shall certainly have to look into that production of the Mikado and see if I can fit any of the performances into my schedule. I never pass up a convenient opportunity to see that show–I was actually in a production of it myself last year, as the chorus girl who got Ko-Ko arrested by flirting with him in the first place!

    Best regards,

    Cate

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    1. Jessie Junior I get sing, act and move in this production, so honoured to have been offered the role after the audition. I tried to get a copy of the book but it’s out of print sadly.
      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  20. You all look like you are having fun. I love your Mikado outfit and of course the Mikado itself. Come to think of it, it has been too long since I last saw it and will have to find a good one to attend soon.

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  21. Oh, I wish I could take my little girl to see your performance! I guess I’ll have to wait for your world tour!

    I’ve never seen “The Mikado.” It sounds hilarious. I’ll have to try to get to a production.

    Reply

    1. I wish you could have seen this show Dan, we did a rehearsal with a children’s audience on Monday it was super. You can see the photos I’ve shared on my Twitter and Facebook 😊.
      I can recommend The Mikado you can’t fail to laugh along,
      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you my friend 😊💕. The tour starts tomorrow in a town called Kirkcudbright. Just over 50 children, very excited to be on this lovely project. You can see a few photos on my Twitter.
      Best wishes
      Charlotte

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      1. It sounds great.. I will check the pics out and retweet them, for sure… best of luck with the tour, my friend. Aquileana 😘

  24. I grew up on Gilbert and Sullivan. I drove my mother crazy playing our recording of HMS Pinafore. I don’t have a good voice but sang ‘Ruler of the Queen’s Navy’ when I wasn’t playing the record. Have seen several of the operetta’s on the stage, including HMS Pinafore, Pirates of Penzance, and the Mikado. Great fun. Hope you are havig a great time.

    Reply

    1. Final singing exam this morning at the Conservatoire, then a quick dash to Kirkcudbright for our set up rehearsal, first day of the tour today in my bed-sit, got our first full show of The Little White Town of Never Weary for just over 50 children tomorrow I’m very excited 🤗.
      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  27. You really do live a full and beautiful life Charlotte ~ one of the great things I admire about you, along with your amazing voice too 🙂 Wish you a great Sunday.

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  28. Great experience to work with children,dear Charlotte!You take back the joy you give them.I can’t believe it’s the end of your undergraduate degree and that your final recital is nearing.Time mercilessly flies by.Happy weekend ✿ڿڰۣ(̆̃̃ღ❣

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  29. Charlotte, a very late comment, but I had to laugh at your mention of the unexpected fire alarm evacuation, as the same thing happened to me once when I was in the orchestra for a musical production of the play “My Three Angels.” (Turned out to be an electrical short, not an actual fire.) When the alarm went off, the lead actor said “What was that?” in the same French accent he was using for his character, and when we realized it was an actual alarm, he directed everyone to the doors as if it were an intended part of the script. The most challenging bit was figuring out how to restart a musical in mid-stream after such an interruption — we backed it up to the previous musical number, which the cast had to do in mime, as none of the props were in the right places!

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  30. Pingback: Pop-Up Opera Tour 2021 – Week 2 – Charlotte Hoather

  31. It’s interesting to read this pre-pandemic post. Everything is so open and sweet and normal.
    One thing the virus has not changed, is your positive nature.
    Thank you, Charlotte!

    Reply

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