Much Ado About Nothing

After all our preparation and rehearsal, it was such a thrill to walk out on stage alongside my colleagues as the orchestra brought the score to life under the baton of Christopher Pelly. It was such a privilege to be a part of this production and bring Stanford’s Much Ado About Nothing to life.

It was lovely to see so many friendly faces in the audience, both on Friday and Saturday night. For those of you, I did not get the chance to thank in person I just want to say how wonderful it was to know you were in the audience and I do hope that you enjoyed watching the production as much as we enjoyed performing it.

After the curtain closed for the final performance of Much Ado About Nothing last night ( Saturday 24th August ), we had the opportunity to mingle with the audience and it was lovely to hear how everyone had enjoyed the production. We met Professor Jeremy Dibble, who is the president of the Stanford Society who came along to watch, he said that he had thoroughly enjoyed the adaption and that he had a wonderfully entertaining evening.

The time has flown by and though I am sad to say goodbye to the cast and creatives I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute of my time with them.

I want to wish David Ward, Festival Director, and Louise Garner, Festival Producer every success with the remainder of the Leeds Opera Festival as it continues until Tuesday 27th August. You can find out more about all the amazing events on the Northern Opera Group’s website here.

All the above pictures were taken our dress rehearsal and are credited to Pelly & Me Photography.

70 thoughts on “Much Ado About Nothing”

    1. Luckily for me all of my bookings this year are in English. However, Shakespeare’s English feels as much a foreign tongue sometimes as French 😊. Lyrics are tough to remember, singers use lots of different techniques from rewriting out lines that won’t stick, I draw storyboards, spend time listening to other professional singers, most of the operas I’ve got on this year aren’t pre-recorded though, so when I feel I’m on top of the music I record myself singing then listen back to myself to save my voice but help memorisation.

      All my best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

      1. Great insight to behind the scenes as it were. Thank you very much for sharing with us. Listening to yourself is a great idea too, I certainly wouldn’t have thought of that.

    1. And you are my Hero Ralph, thank you for leaving me a message 😊.

      All my best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. The costumes were lovely there were a couple of them I wish I could have taken home, the petticoats were super it may become a new style for me if I dare to rock it around London hehe.

      All my best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. I wish I had a photo of the orchestra and conductor too, they were fabulous.

      All my best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. This is so important to me personally Annette, no one in my family ever saw an opera until I was 18 years of age and I persuaded my parents to take me to The Lowry (named after the famous local artist) in Salford Quays, Manchester to watch The Queen of Spades. To be honest my parents found it hard going but I was enwrapped, as I love Tchaikovsky’s music from dancing to it from about the age of 2 in ballet. As far as I knew there were no operas put on locally to where I lived and I’m absolutely loving the work I’m doing for local companies in easy to reach venues and at very affordable prices.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. It’s very exciting to see a Director’s vision coming to life, we did indeed time travel as the Shakespeare play was written in 1598 and was originally set in 16th Century Messina in Italy 😊. I enjoyed all the petticoats and the fact it wasn’t completely in modern day, so people still got to travel from their normal lives!

      All my best wishes Maria,
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you, Eberhard both nights went off very well, we had super audiences in both nights.

      All my best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you Gill, hope you enjoyed your craft weekend you’ll have to show me what you made.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. I fair fainted away to the floor when Hero’s honour was besmirched by false tales of infidelity at her (my) wedding to Claudio (Roger Paterson).

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. It’s always great to be given permission to use great photographs on the blog so that you can all see what I’ve been writing about for a few weeks come to life.

      All my best wishes Clare,
      Charlotte

      Reply

  13. Looks like you had so much fun and great success. The photos are wonderful. Pelly & Me caught really wonderful expressions on everyone.

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Timothy, its great to get good photographs to share Northern Opera were a great company to work for.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. You will Eric 😊 I’d love you to have the opportunity come up to visit the UK with your photography but I’d also love to perform near Florida, my brother is hoping to go there on holiday next year.

      All my best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  15. It is SO much fun reading about your blooming career and all the great experiences you are having with other musicians! The pictures are great. (In the next-to-last, you look like a young Emma Thompson, whom I adore—as an actress, since I don’t know her LOL!) I wish I were close enough to see one of your shows some day.

    Reply

    1. I’m straight into rehearsals in Manchester now for a super role as Pandora (from Greek mythology) in a new contemporary English opera called ‘The Fire of Olympus’. I love to sing in contemporary operas and create roles from scratch it’s a new challenge. I will keep you all posted over the next few weeks. I’d be over in the States performing in a flash hehe.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. I agree Alex super photographs. Hope you’ve enjoyed your summer, did you take a holiday?

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. The play is on at Shakespeare’s Globe this September, I’m not sure if the opera is on anywhere but I’d love to see it too.

      All my best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  18. How absolutely fabulous!
    I have to be honest; Beatrice has always been my favourite character from Shakespeare and Much Ado my favourite play, but maybe I’d change my mind on the character in an opera version. I’d love to have seen it to judge for myself.

    Reply

    1. I love Beatrice’s feisty personality too. When Hero faints when her virtue is questioned I thought in real life I’d have challenged them there and then and if my fiancé believed his friend over me, well then good riddance anyway, and as for her Dad just believing the vile teller and casting her aside in shame, it would have been pistols at dawn for my Dad hehe. I wish you could have seen it too.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  19. What wonderful pictures, Charlotte!! I am so happy for you and your fellow performers. You have such outstanding facial expressions!

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    1. I was up on the balcony singing, and running down through the audience, my Nan said she was out of breath for me at one-point hehe. It was a great cast and crew to work with a big orchestra is always fabulous I just want everyone to come along so much work goes into it.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  20. Beautiful photos Charlotte!!! What a wonderful play, it looked like you had fun throughout….hope that you had a great time , it looks like you did. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful……Darlene

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    1. Great fun although I’ve a few bruises from throwing myself on the floor in a swoon. I loved getting to know everyone it was the first time I’d worked with everyone but Phil who sung Benedict. As a real coincidence a boy I went all the way through High School with and danced with in Ignition dance group, Stagecoach and Zoe’s Love to Dance for years is the brother of one of the men in the cast (it’s a small world).

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  21. I’m not so familiar with this play of Shakespeare’s but it does look like an interesting play. I’m sure you performed spendidly, Charlotte.

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    1. I watched the film when I learned I got the part with Kate Beckinsale as Hero. Then I read the play and the sparksnotes. There are lots of great actors in the movie Denzel Washington, Kenneth Brannagh, Emma Thompson, Keanu Reeves not quite the same scenes in the opera but good for background.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you 😊 I had incredible colleagues the rehearsals and performances were great fun.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you Christine, I have motivation posters saved on my phone and one says ‘enjoy where you are now’ this is what I love about my blog being able to remember to enjoy each moment and store the memory to remember.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. So happy you enjoyed the opera, thank you for coming so far to watch. We’re in Stoke on Trent with Radius’ Fire of Olympus so nice and close if you can make it?

      All my best wishes
      Charlotte x

      Reply

    1. When I get a minute I’ll be sure to check out your travel blog 😊 thanks for visiting.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  29. Read about gender reversal online in this play with your role given more weight than some of the males. Some of the plays by Shakespeare were performed before Queen Elisabeth I. That coupled with the fates of her father’s wives and the themes of infidelity, it seems as though it some kind of socio-literary denoument.

    Reply

    1. That’s very interesting thank you for sharing very interesting. I will read about gender reversal in the play I’m fascinated with the changes to women both as musicians and how they are represented through the ages.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  31. Wonderful! It looks like all had the best time. I think that is a good part of what makes great performances.
    You look fab, as Hero. You are a very animated performer, and I just love it! You put a “purr” in O”per”a! ❦

    Reply

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