This week we commenced the start of our Pop-Up Opera tour!
This year Scottish Opera’s Pop-Up Opera provides three different 30-minute performances of specially arranged Operas, selecting top hits, arias and duets and ensemble numbers to be sung by a small chamber music ensemble.
Our chamber ensemble consists of a soprano, (I share the role with the delightful Jessica Leary), baritone (Aidan Edwards), Flute (Laura Cioffi), Harp (Gwen Yorke Sinclair & Sharron Griffiths) and for our children’s show accordion (Lizy Stirrat), with Ross Stenhouse (Storyteller) binding them together with his own inimitable style.
I’ve never worked with these instruments alone before, so I was excited to hear how supportive and resonant the accompaniment is.
Our three shows are :
A Little Bit of The Magic Flute
A Little Bit of Iolanthe
Puffy McPuffer and the Crabbit Canals
What makes these productions so special is that they are performed in a specially converted articulated trailer. It has been fitted out with a raised stage at the back, fitted with windows for natural light whilst rehearsing and blackout blinds for during the performances. There are spotlights and even a chandelier to add a touch of elegance to the internal surroundings.
The inside is painted to match the auditorium of the Theatre Royal, Scottish Opera’s Homebase theatre in Glasgow, even down to the carpet which is exactly the same as the carpet used in the actual theatre.
By putting on these productions in the trailer it means that Scottish Opera can take their fabulous shows on the road to all corners of Scotland and reach a much wider audience across all age groups.
This week we arrived in the City of Perth and explored the area around where we were staying. We all enjoyed eating together at the end of each day and I can heartily recommend the great restaurants that we found in Perth.
North Port Restaurant
They have a great a la carte menu with food exquisitely cooked and celebrates British cuisine. I had a mouthwatering chicken supreme.
The Post Box
Has a Michelin star and a pre-theatre menu that lasts until 10pm!
The meals were scrumptious and deliciously plated up. I felt like I was on MasterChef
Brothers 3
A family run Italian restaurant with well priced and delicious food. Plenty of variety and good quality food.
In Iolanthe, I play a Fairy and if you have ever wondered what a Fairy eats when there are no Fairy cakes, well it has to be Rainbow Unicorn Cake!!
Looks like you’re going to have fun.Mind your figure with those rainbow unicorn cakes, those corsets look tight…
Everyone knows Martin that rainbow unicorn cakes are zero calories and lighter than air 😉
Best wishes
Charlotte
What fun. Thank you for sharing.
We’re also performing for schools and had a lovely time in a care home for veterans. I spoke to many people after the performance and it was great they had fun and enjoyed the shows.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Has to be heart warming for sure. Plus there is unicorn cake.
You look beautiful & I want that cake!
Thank you, delicious cake, I rarely wear black or brown and if I dressed a fairy she’d be in a range of pastels hehe but the costume department are good at their job and I always like the full looks they create.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Looking good Charlotte👏👏👏
Thanks Gill, feeling a bit tired tonight so i’ll be having an early night, hope you’re all well.
Best wishes
Charlotte
What fun! How wonderful that you are on the road with a mini Theatre Royal in an articulated trailer! It’s like an opera tardis!
It’s exactly like a tardis, it’s a great way to share more opera.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Lady… what fun you are having. What joy you bring to your performances. I am convinced that everyone, whether they are inside the production or outside the production, feels that and drinks it in like parched land absorbs water. Carry on and enjoy a slice of that cake in my place!
I do love performance days, especially when we have a high energy audience, one little girl held my hand throughout puffy mcpuffer the other day, just so cute and I just worked around it I love improvisation and audience participation.
All my best wishes and thank you for your lovely uplifting message, I appreciate you,
Charlotte 💕
Wow, very interesting, nice and funny ! congrats! Meilleurs pensées pour toi chère amie !!
Merci beaucoup. I’m pleased you enjoyed my post. It’s great doing three small shows each day.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Traveling, Pop Up opera – sounds like a great idea! have fun 🙂
I’m with a lovely group of people, I’ve also been able to catch up with some old friends and teachers back in Scotland. The trailer is a great idea, Ive been chuffed with the feedback.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
What a magic time, dear Charlotte! Good luck to you! Best wishes!
Never stop believing in magic even when people try to convince you it doesn’t exist.
Keep on sparkling my lovely Maria ✨
Best wishes
Charlotte
!!!! Same to you, dear Charlotte! Magic – forever! Thanks! Come to see a new poetic post right from the 17th century! 🙂
Will do xx
That is awesome to be on the road show like that. Such a creative idea. And the food, this post looks delicious!
We perform in schools and other venues too but this trailer is fabulous for the purpose of sharing opera far and wide and I love that about it. It’s nice to eat out in a group when you’re away from home.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Looks like lots of fun. I love the photos. I didn’t know what Fairy eat when there are no fairy cakes. I learned something new today.
Close audience interaction is good for me I enjoy it and if they are enthusiastic and happy it fills me with joy. Hehe fairies get up to lots of naughty tricks as well as eating cake!
Best wishes
Charlotte
I wish my community hosted a pop up opera tour. What a wonderful way to bring opera to people who don’t live in large centres.
I would have loved this pop-up tour coming to my town as a child or teen or indeed now as an adult, my fellow musicians are brilliant and the storyteller really brings the essence of the full opera for the audience to understand the condensed plots, but most of the best arias and duets are in the shows.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
What an amazing life you’re creating for yourself, dear Charlotte. Your success is inspirational.
Thank you so much, my parents always taught me to enjoy and make the most of everything, I’m looking forward to the concert in Llangollen in July and I’ve been practicing my arias today, exhausted now 😀.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Your parents are very wise. Good luck at the Eisteddfod.
Charlotte, you always have so much fun! This is an amazing idea – keep enjoying life!
I’m fortunate to find fun in the things I do. I enjoy the company, the audiences, seeing new places, travelling.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Wow.. you are collecting a lot of Travel Miles. It always feels like you’re taking us back in time with the Style of costumes you wear. As for food, Italian is my favorite. …..Rainbow Unicorn Cake? I didn’t know there was such a thing.
Travel miles, smile miles 😀. I’m hoping to get to use some more photos from the Magic Flute to share with you or Puffy I’m a p-p-p-p puffin 🐧. I love Italian food. I wish I could send you a piece of unicorn cake, it’s very sweet.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Looks like a fun tour, enjoy x
I’d love to bring it to Cheshire or Liverpool. Hope you’ve enjoyed the bank holiday weekend.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
No bank holiday weekend here in Germany. We have to wait till Thursday for the Ascension Day public holiday and duvet day. 🙂
Duvet days sound good, I’ve been working all day on my preparations for a concert in Llangollen, I’ve forgotten what a day off feels like 😄 but enjoy yours!
The occasional duvet does you good. However, I intend to get out of the flat by 9am and get some fresh air, cycling along the Rhine. 🙂
(In fact, I may also do a bit of blogging later in the day. Hoping my last article brought a bit of a smile to your face.)
Tally-ho!
Nice photos. Send in some video if possible. Good luck!
I’d love to share videos of the performance I’m sure you’d all love them but the shows are better live.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
What a brilliant idea! Some great photojournalism, too!
Thank you very much, how nice to hear from you, every time I see your wellied piggy 🐷 I smile. I’d love to tour it to Germany wouldn’t that be fun!
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Get yourself over. I often stroll past Deutsche Oper am Rhein when walking through the city centre. 🙂
I’d love to, the opera system in Germany is amazing and very supportive of young singers, how to get in that’s the challenge.
“I’d love to, the opera system in Germany is amazing and very supportive of young singers, how to get in that’s the challenge.”
Yes, I’ve heard similar. Just keep chipping away. 🙂
One day… you never know…
Ah, I think the wellied pig is very cute. Hoping you also like the newish background pic of Saltburn-by-the-Sea. 🙂
Yes it’s a good pic. Glad it’s a clean beach 🏖😄.
You can’t beat an ice cream while strolling along the beach…
Charlotte, this looks like so much fun!!!!! The food looks absolutely amazing too.
Great photos too, Darlene
Thank you, Darlene, I’m travelling tonight to a new tour location in Dumfries which is near the Border with England. The onstage photographs were taken by …… by Scottish Opera they are super aren’t they?
Best wishes
Charlotte
They truly are amazing, Charlotte.
Your costume is so beautiful, Charlotte! Keep on enjoying yourself and being amazing. And thanks for the restaurant recommendations, too!
Best regards,
Cate
Thanks, Cate I get three costumes for the three shows which are great for a dress-up queen like me. Eating well and healthily at a reasonable cost on tour is so important, I hope you and all your family are well.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Sounds like you’re having fun. Hope I can catch you somewhere in the tour.
I hope you can catch one of the shows too. All the shows are sung and narrated in English so they’re very accessible and I always enjoy friendly faces in the audience.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Dear Charlotte,
I am happy for the Pop up Opera and God bless you my Beloved.
Thank you Rev. Tim just helping to spread a little bit of joy and fun, some of the venues give the shows free for the audience it really is a fabulous thing.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
How exciting Charlotte .
It’s a brilliant idea, you certainly show how good it is ..
Photo’s are amazing too.xx
OMG! You’re the cake fairy!!! 🦄🎂🧚♀️
I always wondered who that was?
Wonderful photos and great read!