St Paul’s Opera in Clapham is back with their summer opera next month. Having delighted us last year with Doniz L’elisir d’amore [see my review], the company will be performing Verdi’s La traviata from 2 to 4 July 2026 at St Paul’s Church, Clapham.
The director is Edwina Strobl, who is Australian/Austrian, and who was the Young Artist Director at Opera Holland Park last year when she was working on Jonathan Dove’s Itch and where she was Assistant Director on this year’s opening production, Puccini’s La fanciulla del West.
For La traviata, we are promised a fresh interpretation of the work through a visually striking and theatrically dynamic staging fusing Victorian morality and with punk rebellion. The production highlights the radical nature of Verdi’s celebrated work and takes inspiration from the 50th anniversary of the birth of punk, inviting audiences to look anew at a well-loved opera. (The perspicacious amongst you will recognise the poster to be a riff on an iconic Sex Pistols image).
The music director is Adrian Salinero, the designer is Pin Chen and the choreographer is Agur Arrien. Violetta is sung by Lizzie Ryder (who we last caught as Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Hurn Court Opera, see our review) with Christian Joel as Alfredo and Owain Gwynfryn as Germont. There is also a cover cast, who will be performing the family matinée on Saturday 4 July – Valerija Iljin, Tom Lidgley, Emil Vincenzi.
Full details from the St Paul’s Opera website.
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