Opera Warwick’s Carmen – Preview

“You will have heard at least one of the tunes from a T.V. advert somewhere” insist the cast of Opera Warwick’s Carmen who are set to perform from January 22-24. Their most ambitious project yet in celebration of Warwick’s 50^th anniversary, the mixed cast of students, community members, opera professionals and alumni are set to take the Arts Centre by storm with Georges Bizet’s epic. With a variety of singing experience and a large cast to deal with, the all-student production team have had a lot on their hands, however the director Anna Himali Howard promises that this production will contain everything that you could want from an opera.

“People often believe that opera takes itself very seriously, but we are all just having a bit of fun and hopefully that will come through in the performance” says Howard, who has had previous experience in directing student drama, notably Warwick University Drama Society’s production of Antigone last year. However Howard’s ambition was to direct an opera, after co-ordinating Warwick Opera’s Student Arts Festival (WSAF) showcase last year. “(Working for opera) really develops a director’s foundation skills which you can then apply in theatre, you learn a whole different type of stagecraft.”

For many students involved in the production, Carmen has been a steep learning curve, however the two professionals who are leading the cast as Carmen and Don Jose, Lorna James and Robyn Lyn Evans have also learnt a lot in the process. “It’s been fun and I’ve really enjoyed my time here” says Evans who has worked as a freelance tenor since his graduation from the Royal College of Music in 2007 and will be reprising the role of Don Jose in a London production later this year. James also returns to Bizet’s classic although now in the title role, and is also returning to the University where she studied an undergraduate degree in Maths and Physics before training at the Royal Northern College of Music from 2009-10.

“Much of Opera Warwick’s work started after I left. When I was initially here it was called Opera Projects,” says James. “The music centre is awesome and full of people who have a huge passion for making music – perhaps even more so than some professionals”. Indeed the calibre of University musical talent has impressed Sue Gill, an ensemble member who has previously sung in the University of Warwick Chorus. “I’ve been really impressed by the student team’s abilities and commitment… There were a lot of new faces at the start but we have really got to know each other well and everyone’s been really friendly.”

The English translation of the French original has been written by Ben Hamilton, Carmen’s student conductor. Along with his musical director Heather Ashford and a full student orchestra, the team have taken on the Opera classic. “The piece has been adopted to a more modern version so it will be more accessible to more people” says producer Emma Slack. “It is not as scary as seeing something in the Royal Opera House, you’re not expected to know what is going on or any of the story lines. It’s just like going to the theatre only that people sing!”

This extravagant production promises to be as passionate and sexy as the music itself, reflecting not only traditional Spain, but elements of the country’s modern situation. Costume, set and stage production teams have been working hard to ensure that this will be Opera Warwick’s biggest and best production yet. Opera Warwick’s Carmen herself ensures that all of the hard work will pay off for any visiting audiences, “It has got everything that Opera could ask for, tragedy, comedy and amazing tunes that will keep going around and around in your head for days afterwards.”