Can you tell us about your role at OHP?

Jack Lofte is Itch’s sassy younger sister. She’s the queen of one-liners, and thrives off of winding people up. 

What are you most looking forward to about this role?

Getting to sing Dove’s beautiful score, and hear it sung from the stage. Itch’s first aria – when he’s talking about the periodic table and his love for the elements – is incredibly moving as having such a deep connection for something fairly niche can be quite lonely. Thankfully I wouldn’t know what that’s like pursuing a career in opera. 

What do you hope to learn or gain from the Opera Holland Park Young Artists scheme?

I’m looking forward to testing myself singing on a large festival stage to see how I fare. The practice room is one thing, open air theatre is another ball game. 

You performed in the Opera Holland Park Chorus in 2022 and 2023. What has been your favourite memory at Opera Holland Park so far? 

Carmen (2022) was a blast from start to finish, I can’t even choose a favourite memory. Every time that overture started it was just electric. The producers at OHP managed to get the loveliest group of people together in that production – I’ve made some friends for life from Carmen. 

Itch is a character who regularly finds himself in trouble, including burning off his own eyebrows. Can you share a time when something went wrong onstage during a performance?

Anything slapstick makes me laugh. During a G&S production, our amazing dance captain Rosie fell down some steps. She was okay thankfully, but I could not stop laughing (I’m giggling typing this out) and forgot my lines – nightmare scenario as G&S audiences know the script better than you. Sorry, Rosie, for bringing this up again.

What’s one piece of advice, musical or otherwise, that has stayed with you?

“You can fail at what you don’t want to do” has kept me going, cheesy as it is. This industry, especially in Britain, is very competitive and difficult. I’ve been working at restaurants for 10 years to subsidise singing, and that will probably continue into my 30s. I’m surprised I’m not too weather-worn by now to play Jack – a school child.

Itch will run from 3 – 13 June.

Interview by Holly Bancroft.