A wonderful showcase of some incredibly talented people from the Guildhall School Opera Course

Opera Makers features a collection of works from MA students at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, performed by singers and repetiteurs in their first year on the Guildhall Opera course. Scenes from Puccini Operas are also showcased.  

The staging is multi-purpose for the six pieces and thought-out, allowing the performers to make the most of the space. The initial stage features a neon pink cross on an altar made  from draped filing cabinets; used for the next piece as an office scene which then morphs into plinths for the final piece before intermission. Staging for after intermission is sparse, allowing performers to move as if they were in open locations, such as a wood and bar. Similar lighting is used across all six pieces; spotlights with colours used in some. The costume was either modern when pieces were in English or felt like they had a timeless  approach to them when sung in Italian, a nice touch I thought. Considering they were  written by Puccini over a hundred years, the costume and set design made it feel like it could have taken place in 2024 . The repetiteurs and conductor were opposite the  performers and at times the focus was on them playing.  

The pieces sung in English were interesting and certainly a contrast to those sung in Italian.  Unless you happen to speak Italian, it meant it was quite difficult to understand the plot  was but you could get a general gist. Two of the Italian pieces I believe were about love and  one I think was about a business facing troubles. There were elements of humour to the  pieces, The Casserole in particular had more comedic moments which broke up the  sombre pieces. The second piece of the evening also had some comedic moments but not  speaking the language meant that it was difficult to have reference to what made the  action funny. The singers however are wonderfully talented and it was delightful to be able  to see the repetiteurs play, though at times it was a little distracting (I was sat almost in  front of them). They each brought a passion and incredible talent and the pieces sung in  Italian at times gave me goosebumps.  I have never seen opera before so it was a new experience and I would highly recommend  watching opera. I did personally prefer the Italian pieces; it just felt a little more traditional,  even if you couldn’t follow the story! The Casserole was probably my favourite of the  students work, it felt like something you could relate to. Either way, Opera Makers showcases some very talented individuals and it was a delight to watch.