Meet the emerging artists who will be presenting our 2023 Young Artists production of Hansel and Gretel this year. Ella will play The Gingerbread Witch in this production.
Can you introduce us to the role of The Gingerbread Witch?
Where do you start? She’s the main antagonist in the story of Hansel and Gretel. In the opera, she is called Rosina Leckermaul, which translates into English as Raisin Sweet-tooth! It’s not very often that the soprano gets to play a ‘baddie’, so I’m rather excited.
What are you most excited to learn or experience during your time as an OHP Young Artist?
I’m so excited to be an OHP Young Artist for 2023 and I’m looking forward to working with the team, but I have to say I’m psyched for the Schools Matinee, as I get to play the ‘baddie’! I’m a big fan of the OHP Outreach programme so I hope to be able to help inspire the younger generation revisiting my very first operatic role.
What is something surprising about your job that audience members may not know?
I wanted to be a doctor until I was 18. My parents made the joke that I would be training for years. I have been building my career and ‘training’ since 2016! That’s 7 years thus far, and I’m not remotely finished.
What’s one piece of advice you’ve been given as an artist that has stayed with you?
I’ve been given some amazing pieces of advice over the years from some pretty incredible people, but a few pieces stand out above all: “Be nice to everyone you meet, you’ll also meet them on the way back down” and “We all choose to be singers but we’re born humans. Humans first, singers second.”
The Witch can turn children into gingerbread – if you had a magical power, what would it be and why?
If I had a superpower, crikey! I think I’d love to be able to teleport. I’d save so much time commuting and my carbon footprint would be negligible.