Chetham's School of Music

A sleazy new opera

“Would all those there were turned into a corpse!”

Adapted from The Revenger’s Tragedy by Thomas Middleton (1606), this brand new chamber opera is set in a dystopian underworld of criminality, lust and murder. Vindicio is a young man played by a woman who, for much of the play, disguises himself as a woman. And that’s just the start. He carries around with him the death mask of his girlfriend whom the King murdered; he seeks revenge, but is intercepted by the King’s son, the Prince, who wants to bed Vindicio’s sister. So begins this saga of revenge which is over 400 years old – but which suggests nothing very much has changed. Following London performances, a superb cast of 9 singers accompanied by a virtuosic piano duo will bring to life this bloodthirsty farce of an opera.

Edward Lambert has written 18 chamber operas as well as stage works for schools and communities. Since 2014, The Music Troupe’s productions have featured the art of ‘beautiful singing’ along with music and drama that is tailored, not trimmed, to an intimate experience.

‘Specially written to give the impression of a ‘grand’ opera in a small theatre’ – Read Planet Hugill’s preview of this brand-new production here.

CAST

Laure Meloy (soprano) Duchess
Madeline Robinson (soprano) Virginia
Leila Zanette (mezzo-soprano) Vindicio
Mae Heydorn (mezzo-soprano) Gratiana
Matt Paine (counter-tenor) Prince
Lawrence Thackeray (tenor) Spurio
Will Diggle (tenor) Vacuo
Charles Johnston  (baritone) King
Christopher Foster (bass) Antonio
Piano duet: Alex Norton, Adrian Salinero

Music: Edward Lambert
Words: Thomas Middleton (1606)
Stage director: David Edwards
Movement: Jenny Weston
Design: Colin Mayes