OperaCocktail

Running time: approximately 60 minutes

A heady contemporary cocktail of well-loved opera classics

Popular classics shaken with wit, stirred with drama, and served with a twist of ménage à trois in a heady contemporary cocktail of music & words. Music by Puccini, Mozart, Verdi, Gilbert & Sullivan & more in new arrangements for piano or accordion and cello.

Overture from The Marriage of Figaro - Mozart
Duet and song from Eugene Onegin - Tchaikovsky
Brindisi (Drinking Song) from La Traviata - Verdi
Juliet’s Waltz from Romeo and Juliet - Gounod
Habanera from Carmen - Bizet
Frederick’s Song, The Pirates of Penzance - Gilbert and Sullivan
Duet and aria from La Traviata - Verdi
Chanson Boheme and Seguidilla from Carmen - Bizet
Aria from The Marriage of Figaro - Mozart
Aria from The Elixir of Love - Donizetti
Send in the Clowns from A Little Night Music - Sondheim
Mimi and Rudolpho’s Duet from La Boheme - Puccini

CAST

TENOR
Anthony is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music & the National Opera Studio. He has sung principal roles with many of the UK’s major opera companies - English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Grange Park Opera, Buxton Opera Festival, Northern Ireland Opera, Iford Arts, Nevill Holt Opera and Opera Della Luna amongst others. He began his operatic career in the original Olivier award-winning production of La bohème as Rodolfo and has sung a number of roles for the company. It was his journey with this company that led him into the world of opera. Amongst other credits, most recently; Roderigo – Otello (Verdi) with Grange Park Opera, Captain Fitztbattleaxe in Utopia Ltd for the National G&S Society and Tamino in The Magic Flute for Oxford Opera. In 2021, he also made his acting debut to much critical acclaim in King Lear alongside Sir John Tomlinson & Sir Thomas Allen at The Grange Festival. He is very active on the private function market, passionate about educational outreach in the arts and has sung with many celebrated orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic and has recently founded his own opera theatre company Prologue Opera in his hometown of Hastings. Anthony also has a professional life in banking!

CELLO
Alison Holford was born and brought up in Birmingham. She read music at Huddersfield University and Trinity College of Music, studying with Sue Lowe, Anna Shuttleworth and David Kenedy. At Trinity College of Music she was principal cello in the college Symphony Orchestra and the Contemporary Music Group. Since graduating she has pursued a busy freelance career, both playing and teaching in London and the south-east of England. Her performing work includes: principal cello ofSt Paul's Sinfonia; solo cello in Splinter Cell, a contemporary music group based in Canterbury that aims to mix the most challenging and virtuosic pre-composed music with free improvisation, and collaborate with other art forms including film, visual art and dance; cellist in Bridgetower Music, a flexible chamber ensemble performing anything from piano trios to Pierrot Lunaire; and in France, principal and continuo cello of Opera de Baugé. Recently she has been the solo cello in OperaUpClose’s production of Tosca in the West End and on tour ('Outstanding' The Independent; ‘Cellist Alison Holford’s playing is so sweet that I am called again and again to listen with great attention’ - playstosee.com). With OperaUpClose she has also been the solo cello in La Traviata; solo/continuo in Dido and Aeneas; and solo in Carmen. With King's Head Opera, Alison was the solo cello in new productions of La Boheme and Madame Butterfly. Alison has performed with the Manchester Camerata and Lancashire Sinfonietta. With St Paul’s Sinfonia, Alison has performed the Vivaldi Concerto for Two Cellos (with Helen Neilson), the Brahms Double Concerto (with James Widden, violin), the Shostakovich 1st cello concerto, and the Barber cello concerto. Alison is also a long-suffering supporter of Aston Villa F.C.

MEZZO SOPRANO + DIRECTOR
Flora is a singer, actor and storyteller praised for her ‘wonderfully rich’ mezzo soprano, ‘vivid’ characterisation & ‘thrilling’ stage presence. A highly experienced and respected performer, facilitator and teacher, Flora trained at the RNCM, is a Samling Foundation Scholar and ARTIS Performing Arts Specialist. Flora has sung multiple roles for OperaUpClose to great critical acclaim including Carmen and Mary, Queen of Scots; she has performed at venues across Europe and the UK with notable performances including, for Longborough Festival Opera: Waltraute (Die Walkure), Wellgunde (Das Rheingold), Dryade (Ariadne auf Naxos) & Brangane (Tristan und Isolde cover); Das Lied von Der Erde (English National Ballet, tour/London Coliseum), Pauline in Gounod’s
Polyeucte (UK premiere) & Romeo I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Grimeborn/BBC). Future plans include OperaCocktail UK tour, further performances for London Concertante, and directing a new version of Vaughan Williams’ Riders to the Sea for OperaUpClose. Flora is passionate about co-creation, opening the creative process to audiences and local communities and developing lasting multi- disciplinary partnerships across all creative industries.

PIANO
From Leigh-on-sea, Essex, Elspeth studied at King’s College, London and Royal Academy of Music. She has performed at St John’s Smith Square; Royal Opera House; Royal Albert Hall; St Martin-in-the-Fields as well as recitals in Spain, France and South Africa. Elspeth has performed at the Ravenna Music Festival, Edinburgh Festival and Dublin Gay Theatre Festival (winning an ‘Oscar’ award for performance). She has worked with BBC Wales, Royal Ballet, Royal Shakespeare Company amongst others. She works as a repetiteur/musical director with Opera up Close (winning an Olivier award for La Boheme), Opera Brava, Northern Ireland Opera and Opera de Bauge. Elspeth conducts Thurrock Choral Society, is assistant conductor with Barnes Choir and is a member of the Bridgetower Ensemble.

SOPRANO
Elinor studied voice at Chetham’s School Of Music and The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she won the Worshipful Company of Horners’ Becker Scholarship and the Tracey Chadwell Memorial Prize for Contemporary Song.
Elinor has just returned from singing with André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra as a soloist on a world tour. Recent roles include soprano soloist G&S Galas (Tarantara at the Chichester Festival Theatre), Donna Irene The Queen's Lace Handkerchief (Operadellaluna), Casilda The Gondoliers, Josephine HMS Pinafore and Mabel Pirates Of Penzance with the National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company on National Tour. Mimi La Boheme (in the Olivier Award winning OperaUpClose production at the Soho Theatre and Charing Cross Theatre and Tour), Violetta (OUC Soho Theatre/Tricycle Theatre and Tour), Sophie Werther (Midsummer Opera), Rosina The Barber Of Seville (OUC Tour), Anna Don Giovanni (OUC/Soho Theatre), Mrs Bear-Crawford Beginners (New commission, ROH Linbury Theatre) Michaela Carmen (For EPOC at the Royal Albert Hall), Susanna The Marriage of Figaro (Opera La Gozinère), Rusalka/Voran May Night (Garsington Opera), Rowan The Little Sweep (International Festival of Shannon). Elinor has been the recipient of a Garsington Opera Chorus Award.
Oratorio experience includes Mozart Requiem (at the Cadogan Hall), Tippett A Child For Our Time (also at the Cadogan Hall), Verdi Requiem (Lighthouse Theatre Poole), Vaughn-Williams Sea Symphony, (Victoria Hall, Hanley) Orff Carmina Burana, Handel Messiah, Handel Joshua, Haydn Creation, Haydn The Seasons, Haydn Nelson Mass, Mozart Coronation Mass, Schumann Requiem, Rossini Petite Messe Solenelle, Mendelssohn Elijah, Brahms Requiem, Dubois The Seven Last Words Of Christ, Poulenc Sept Répons Des Tenebres, Rutter Feel The Spirit, Rutter Requiem.
Elinor was a soloist on a SONY BMG recording "The Best Of Gilbert And Sullivan" which reached the top of the Classical Chart and can be heard on Blossom Street’s new Naxos recording of choral music by female composers “This Day”.
Elinor is in demand as a vocal workshop leader and animateur and sometimes director. She regularly works in learning and participation teams with such companies as ROH, ETO, Opera North, Snape Maltings, Garsington Opera and as far away as The Canadian Children's Opera Chorus in Toronto. In 2012 she performed a dance role in Danny Boyle’s Olympic Opening Ceremony but has since put away her hip hop shoes (until the right future opportunity…)