As someone who came to enjoy opera as a result of the ENO’s performance at Glastonbury Festival, rather than a childhood steeped in classical music, I’ve always enjoyed seeing innovative performances in an informal atmosphere. With this in mind, I was really looking forward to my first Waterperry Opera Festival – a relatively new event on the classical calendar, and one which has developed a reputation for nurturing young talent and taking a highly inventive approach. I am delighted to say not only did Waterperry meet my expectations, it provided a truly inspiring experience. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys musical storytelling, regardless of genre, because Waterperry truly is a festival for everyone – from toddlers and first-time opera-goers to seasoned audiences looking for a fresh take on this classical art form.

On arrival, my first taste of the unique Waterperry atmosphere came in the form of the very young audience, picnicking ahead of the lunchtime performance of Peter and the Wolf. I’m not sure there are many opera festivals attended by stuffed toys, plastic dinosaurs and fairies, but at Waterperry it feels like the natural order. This inclusive, approachable atmosphere was reinforced by a delightfully playful and inventive performance of Prokofiev’s much-loved tale: from the instrument introductions to the highly expressive dance and spoken word, everything about this take on Peter and the Wolf felt like it had been considered and tweaked for maximum fun and accessibility.

Waterperry Opera’s dedication to developing young talent was not limited to child-friendly performances. In Love and Opera: A Young Artist Showcase we were introduced to a company of singers with strong acting skills, clarity and confidence in their singing, and fabulous comic timing. They turned a series of love scenes into a kind of operatic Love Island we immediately got caught up in the dramas of these young lovers, and enjoyed yet more of that playful Waterperry spirit.

Clairières dans le Ciel, composed in 1914 by Lili Boulanger, marked a distinct shift in mood, from high jinks to a deeply personal meditation on heartache: the agony and ecstasy of love, exquisitely expressed by soprano Sîan Dicker. Somehow the woodland setting became part of the music – the whisper of the wind in quieter moments added to the intimacy, had us hooked on Dicker’s every move, and seemed to draw attention to the sensitive connection between singer and pianist Krystal Tunnicliffe.

Headline event The Elixir of Love provided plenty of wow-factor – including the wisteria-clad Waterperry House as a backdrop. This vibrant, contemporary and delightfully witty production transposed the story from early 19^th century Italy to a 1950s Saratoga Springs health resort. Alison Langer’s vivacious, canny Adina was the perfect love interest for Thando Mjandana’s earnest, romantic ‘loser’ Nemorino. I say ‘loser’ because that’s the term they used – one of the many wonderful surprises in this performance was the use of modern, colloquial language – “she’s out of my league” and so on. The perfect way to end a fantastic first day at Waterperry Opera Festival.

I returned on Monday 16^th to see On Wenlock Edge – Vaughan Williams’ interpretation of selected poems from A.E. Housman’s 1896 collection, A Shropshire Lad. Once again the woodland stage made for a perfect, intimate setting – this time giving us the sense that we were onlookers to a rather lonely man’s muddled mix of nostalgia and existential musings. Tenor Ted Black gave a wonderfully nuanced performance – gentle and introspective, but always with the sense that there is a deep undertow of strong emotion present, as the protagonist’s thoughts hop between the timelessness of natural forces and relative brevity of human life. His ‘finale’ – merging with the woodland surroundings – was yet another reminder of how much Waterperry Opera Festival uses the gardens to full artistic effect, making them integral to the performances, rather than simply a beautiful addition.

The final part of my Waterperry experience, Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, offered yet another example of innovative reimagining. In this case, combining the powerful prison camp creation with a contemporary light show by visual artist Anne-Héloise Dautel. The result was absolutely mesmerising – with the lighting shifting from sweet, subtle and understated, to dramatic, intense and fractured. Each musician was picked out in light as they played, before being plunged back into darkness – with the result that their remarkable playing was even more pronounced. It felt as though we, the audience, were invited to meditate on every movement of the bow, every intake of breath. The ensemble (Gabi Jones – violin, Matthew Wilsher – clarinet, Samuel Ng – cello, Bertie Baigent – piano) were exquisitely exacting – creating an almost-hypnotic experience, which made for a spectacular way to say goodbye to Waterperry for this year.

My son and I were very excited to attend the Waterperry Opera Festival performance of Hansel and Gretel. We were looking forward to a live musical experience after a long time away, and an introduction to the world of opera for him, all amidst the glorious surroundings of Waterperry. We were not disappointed!

The show encapsulated the darker tones of the original Grimm version, however it’s use of the musical composition by Humperdinck meant that there was mischief and joy in this tale as well as sad and uncomfortable moments- for example, seeing the father in his first appearance appearing jovial; and moments later, seeing the despair and poverty in the family’s life.

The cast were all brilliant - Hansel and Gretel in particular shared an excellent chemistry, bouncing off each other. Katie Coventry as Hansel was an impish delight to watch, with a great comedic touch, while Julia Mariko Smith was mesmerising as a feisty, mischievous but vulnerable Gretel. Her singing must be commended too, particularly in the song when they are praying in the woods at night. Thackeray also stands out in his fiendish role as the Witch - very much a Psychotic Willy Wonka - I loved this!

The show was aimed at adults and children over seven years old. My son was enthralled throughout the show. His favourite scenes were when Hansel’s face ends up embedded in a cream cake for 10 mins (we were lucky enough to find out from the backstage team how they managed to keep the actor breathing despite being submerged in the cake for so long)! He also loved the part where the Witch gets thrown into the oven (again lots of interesting discussions about how the actor kept his head inside for such a long time)! Despite the fact this was an opera very much enjoyed by adults these quirky tricks and an imaginative setting (for example lots of chocolate/sweet props, including a mini gingerbread house to symbolise the Witch’s house), meant that this show was the perfect introduction to opera for children, and certainly captivated their attention.

The ensemble also did an excellent job, and the inclusion of a BSL interpreter was much welcomed. The pre-show workshop for children incorporated some singing, dancing and some basic BSL, which was fun (albeit a bit challenging to do all at once)!

The Director of the show, Rebecca Meltzer has done a phenomenal job on this show! It is notable that everyone who I had contact with, from the Communications Manager, to Front of House, to the stewards on the day, were really helpful and so passionate about the event - which was lovely to see!

I will certainly be returning next year, and so will my son!

Photo: Marc Brenner

Picture the scene: it’s a beautiful, sunlit Saturday evening, and we are sitting in front of the grand, wisteria-clad Waterperry House, waiting for the start of an opera penned in 1832. Gaetano Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love is known for being a comic masterpiece, but in this context – opera, stately home, etc – it’s easy to imagine the comic aspect being… well, a little polite and, dare I say it, old fashioned?! However, this is Waterperry Opera Festival – an incredibly exciting initiative showcasing young talent and fresh thinking. And to the right of the stage is a kitsch 50s sign: Adina’s Spa Retreat. At this point it was clear that any preconceived notions about Elixir should be cast aside – as we were in for something new!

The show opened with a flurry of activity from Adina’s spa staff – every bit as busy, nosy and gossipy as you’d imagine the villagers of the original version to be. We quickly got a sense of the key players – a vivacious, independent Adina (Alison Langer) and her ‘beta male’ admirer, Nemorino (Thando Mjandana), the spa’s janitor. We also got a hint of Adina’s undercurrent of yearning to fall deeply in love, as she tells us of Tristan and Isolde – and the magical elixir that enables their bond (and I defy you not to be murmuring something about ‘the elixir with the kicksa’ on your drive home afterwards!).

As the high energy of the introduction made way for the substance of the story, I found myself delighted by the irreverently contemporary lyrics. Translator Kelley Rouke gives us enough gems to start a jewellers. I picked up on just how fresh and modern this interpretation is when I caught the word ‘loser’ and the phrase ‘she’s out of my league’ – which set the tone for the whole performance. To give one of many examples - when we meet Nemorino’s rival for Adina’s affections, the rather more alpha male Belcore (Darwin Prakash), the lines “I don’t often miss my target / Since I’m handsome and a sergeant” tell you everything you need to know about the kind of guy we’re dealing with. Well, that and his gleaming motorbike, aviator shades and airman’s uniform…

The core of the comedy in the original story comes from the elixir of the title being nothing more than cheap wine – sold to the naïve Nemorino as an incredible love potion by the distinctly dodgy Dulcamara. One my favourite scenes in this production was our introduction to Dulcamara – reinvented as ‘a sincere travelling salesman’ preying on those seeking shortcuts to wellness and beauty. Oskar McCarthy was so superbly slimy it felt he deserved a show all of his own.

In so many comedic tales of misunderstanding the farcical takes over, but throughout this performance the cast retained a sense of depth and complexity. Much of this came down to the individual artists’ ability to inhabit their characters – in expression, in movement, and of course, in voice. Langer’s Adina has the kind of presence and clarity that mark out a remarkable love interest – but combined with warmth, humour and just enough vulnerability to make Adina feel like a contemporary figure, whose defensive strategy of repeatedly changing her affections masks sadness at her inability to truly fall in love. She is not the cartoon coquette a less developed performance might have given us – and as result we want her to find happiness. Mjandana manages to infuse Nemorino with just the right balance of haplessness and heroism – his rich, full-bodied voice somehow tinged with the perfect hint of earnestness and heartbreak. And as Belcore, Prakash gets to indulge in being Mr Smooth – a role he fulfilled brilliantly, and appeared to be enjoying very much!

Overall, there was a great sense of pacing, as the performance shifted between all-action group scenes and intimate moments, and the Waterperry Opera Festival Orchestra provided a seamless accompaniment, making for a show which felt confident in its ability to deliver a good time. The whole experience was original, inventive and thoroughly enjoyable – and a fantastic example of opera as a modern medium for storytelling, no matter how old the tale.

Photo: Marc Brenner

Billed as a ‘much beloved symphonic fairytale’, this performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf combined a wonderfully whimsical setting, beautiful musicianship and stellar storytelling. The result was both joyful and gently educational – and a delight for all ages.

The first clue that we were in for something special came when cast members met the audience by the Waterperry picnic area, and led us into the stunning ornamental gardens. We settled by a lily pond, with dragonflies dancing in the sunshine – and it felt as though the story had already begun.

We were then introduced to the ensemble via their character counterparts – a brilliant way to seed the idea that each instrument has a personality, and convey the way musicians are able to ‘act’ through their playing (the bassoon was an instant hit!). This approach helped set the tone for the rest of the performance: inventive, informal and fun.

Two incredibly talented young storytellers - Abby McCann and Jonathan Mewett - used spoken word, dance, movement and simple props to take us through the tale. The pacing was impeccable: spoken sections allowing the audience to stay with the story, without overshadowing the music. Rather than explaining how the story is told through music, they let us enjoy experiencing it.

The moment when we met the wolf was a particular highlight – McCann and Mewett used a fiendishly simple-yet-brilliant combination of hand-held ears and eyes, plus their own movement and breath, to create a vivid impression of dangerous wolf! But in leaving out the specifics, they also allowed the audience to imagine (or ignore) the unseen. This seemed to work well for children who might have found powerful jaws and sharp teeth a bit much – keeping the story light and playful, even though (spoiler alert) a duck gets eaten alive.

Other highlights for me included flautist Rosie Bowker’s ability of be birdlike in every expression and movement, Mewett’s wonderful take on a velvet-pawed cat, and McCann conveying the full menace of the wolf with nothing more than subtle movements of those fantastic hand-held eyes, and audible breathing of the sort none of us would like to encounter on a dark night in a deep forest.

This unique take on an old tale had children predominantly in mind – and the young audience were transfixed. I found myself hoping that this performance gets to tour schools all over the country – especially those where the pupils might otherwise think of classical music as something ‘other’ and austere.

This version of Peter and the Wolf is so perfectly playful I would recommend it to all ages and musical leanings.