Sir Thomas Allen directs The Marriage of Figaro
Tuesday 18 September 2018
Esteemed Royal College of Music alumnus Sir Thomas Allen is returning to the RCM this autumn to direct Mozart’s beloved comic opera The Marriage of Figaro. The production will be the first of the newly launched RCM Opera Studio.
The Marriage of Figaro is a timeless tale of love, revenge and deception. Composed in 1786, the opera has all the ingredients of a modern rom com. In the intimate setting of the RCM’s Britten Theatre, watch courtship turn to chaos and lose yourself in Mozart’s timeless melodies as the talented cast guide us through mishaps, misunderstandings and mistaken identities.
Celebrated alumna Sarah-Jane Brandon will also return to the RCM for the production, performing the coveted role of the countess and offering mentorship to her fellow cast members. Sarah-Jane was the winner of the 2009 Kathleen Ferrier Award and is in high demand on the international opera circuit. She shares the role with recent RCM graduate Josephine Goddard, whose performances as a soloist at Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Southbank Centre have been highly praised.
Sir Thomas Allen commented: ‘It is an honour to direct the accomplished singers and alumni of the RCM Opera Studio in one of Mozart’s most entertaining operas. The young performers bring enormous energy and talent to the production. As a Royal College of Music alumnus I am pleased to see the College’s operatic training provision going from strength-to-strength and its talented young singers receiving the best possible musical education.’
The RCM Opera Studio replaces the current RCM International Opera School, building on its international reputation for producing some of the world’s most talented young vocal artists. The new name reflects a bespoke approach to the final stages of training and a desire to expose singers to the very highest levels of vocal, dramatic and artistic expression.
The Marriage of Figaro is sung in Italian with English surtitles. As is traditional for RCM opera productions, two casts will alternate performances, giving as many accomplished young singers as possible the chance to take to the stage. Josephine Goddard and Sarah Jane Brandon will alternate in the role of the countess.
This season’s opera goes on sale to the general public on Wednesday 3 October. Benefactors and Patrons have priority booking from Wednesday 19 September and RCM Friends from Wednesday 26 September. For more information, click here.
