Die Fledermaus is a triumph…
For punchlines, kicklines, fräuleins and good times, nothing’s better than a Die Fledermaus summer.
Aided by champagne and in ludicrous disguises at the eccentric Orlovsky’s lavish party, a vengeful doctor, dazzling diva, stereotypical tenor and ambitious maid set loose choreographed chaos.
St Paul’s Opera’s boisterous production saw Strauss’ operetta reimagined in a vintage movie studio. References to Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and other familiar characters abound in a new script by award-winning writer/director Jonny Danciger. The iconic tunes were roared into life by musical director George Ireland and his chamber ensemble.
Check out some pictures from the production below…
CAST
Alfred
Adele
Rosalinda
Eisenstein
Dr Blind
Dr Falke
Frank
Prinz Orlofsky
Ida
COVERS
Adele
Rosalinda
Prinz Orlofsky
Ida
CHORUS
Sopranos
Mezzo-sopranos
Tenors
Basses
CREATIVE TEAM
Director Jonny Danciger
Musical Director George Ireland
Assistant Director/Choreographer William Byram
Dominic Westwood
Olivia Singleton
Rusne Tuslaite
Thomas Litchev
Ash Howard
Chris Murphy
Ashley Mercer
Jean-Max Lattemann
Meliza Metzger
Meliza Metzger
Victoria Price
Florence Carruthers
Jasper Kindleysides
Mandy Liu, Patricia Ninian
Bridget Coaker, Naomi Lidiard, Luci de Nordwall Cornish, Susan Roberts
John Hall
Jonathan Boardman
RUSNE TUSLAITE
Lithuanian Soprano Rusne Tuslaite is an alumna of the Royal Academy of Music. Her recent operatic engagements include the roles of Fiordiligi (cover) in Mozart's Così fan tutte (The Grange Festival), Lidochka in Shostakovich’s Cheryomushki (Welsh National Opera), Countess in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Chief hen and Woodpecker in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen (HGO). She has also worked with Glyndebourne.
THOMAS LITCHEV
Bulgarian American baritone Thomas has recently completed his postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music. Credits include: Adario - Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes (Trondheim Barokkfest for Stephanie-Marie Degand); a solo recital with pianist Héloïse Bertrand; Le Dancaïre - Carmen (St Paul’s Opera); Dandini - Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Opera Kipling). His work has been praised as ‘gripping to watch and hear’ (clevelandclassical.com).
OLIVIA SINGLETON
Lancashire born soprano, Olivia has recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with an Master of Arts in Vocal Performance and previously studied her Bachelor of Music with Honours from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She is under the tutelage of Mary Nelson and coach Joseph Middleton. Olivia has recently performed the role of Harry in Britten's Albert Herring with Royal Academy Opera.
JEAN-MAX LATTEMANN
London-based German-British countertenor Jean-Max is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He appears equally on the opera and concert stage and is praised by critics for his interpretations and vocal expressiveness, his repertoire ranging from early baroque to modern and contemporary music. Recent highlights include concerts in Heidelberg, Dresden and Vienna; a return to London’s Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival and a debut at Barockfest Darmstadt in Germany.
DOMINIC WESTWOOD
Dominic was born and raised in Sydney and has been in London since 2017. A young tenor who is building his experience, Dominic undertook a bachelors at Trinity Laban Conservatoire where he studied under Neil Baker and was coached by Helen Yorke. He has performed with Blackheath Opera Company, Morley College opera school and Trinity Laban opera scenes. Dominic is very excited to work with St Paul's Opera on this production of Die Fledermaus.
ASHLEY MERCER
Ashley graduated Masters with distinction from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (TCM Trust Scholar & a Kathleen Roberts scholar) and was awarded the Paul Simm Opera Prize. Ashley is currently singing the role of Leporello in Regent Opera’s touring production of Don Giovanni. Other credits include: Max Kane, Dinner at Eight; Luka, The Bear; German Soldier, Silent Night (Wexford Festival Opera); Blackbeard, Moonfleet (Salisbury Playhouse); Morales, Carmen (St Paul’s Opera).
ASH HOWARD
Ash is a mezzo soprano from York who has been singing chorally from the age of six. Now based in London, he is studying MMus (vocal studies) at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music as the recipient of the Kathleen Roberts Vocal Scholarship, and was the winner of the 2024 Soloist’s Competition. His operatic roles have included The Voice (Tales of Hoffmann) with Heber Opera, Second Spirit (Die Zauberflöte) with Cardiff Opera and Smeton (Try me, Good King) with Trinity Laban.
MELIZA METZGER
Meliza is a Royal Academy of Music and Conservatoire of Bordeaux graduate. Previous performance experience includes Zerbinetta, Ariadne auf Naxos (Three Bridges Festival); Belinda, Dido and Aeneas (Opera al Parque, Colombia); Queen of the Night, Die Zauberflote (Mario Laserna, Bogota). Currently she is working on a CD recording of arias for guitar and soprano with “Solent Duo” in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Future projects include concerts in Logatec, Slovenia and the Mozarteum Summer Academy 2024.
CHRIS MURPHY
Chris, a Bass-Baritone, studied at the University of York and is currently under the tutelage of Gary Coward. Previous operatic roles include Sleep in Purcell’s Fairy Queen (HGO), Tsar Dodson in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Golden Cockerel (Orchestra Vox), Sam in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti (Cumbria Opera Group), Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni (Orchestra Vox), Junius in Britten’s Rape of Lucretia (Aspect Opera), and Ariodate in Hansel’s Xerxes (New Chamber Opera).
