Can you introduce us to your role this year at Opera Holland Park?

Canio is the leader of a touring troupe of actors. He plays the character of Pagliaccio, the clown, in the play, and his wife Nedda plays Pagliaccio’s wife Colombina. He is suspicious and jealous of his wife, both in the play and in reality. The line between the two soon becomes blurred!

How do you prepare for a new role?

I start by reading the libretto, and listening to the whole piece through from start to finish a few times, to get a sense of the whole arc of the drama. But then when we actually begin rehearsing I try to start with a completely clean slate, not bringing any preconceptions from other people’s interpretations of the role, so that I can ‘discover’ it afresh in real time as we go along.

The ‘killer clown’ is a trope that has existed since the 14th century and has appeared in theatre, music, opera and film ever since; – the fear of clowns even has its own name, ‘coulrophobia’. How do you intend to tackle playing a role that is part of such a well known notion and is it possible to bring subtlety into a really violent opera?

One of the first genuinely scary things I saw on TV when I was young was the adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘IT’ with Tim Curry, which caused quite a stir when it came out! Obviously Canio is a rather different kind of scary… but the beauty of this piece and this character lies in its truly ‘verismo’ nature. Thanks to the old theatrical device of the play within a play, there is a constant state of tension. For the whole second act of the show neither the characters on stage nor the audience are ever certain what is real and what is not. The characters are able to partially conceal their emotions and intentions behind a ‘mask’, both literally and metaphorically.

Tenors are normally the characters who get the girl and not the characters who lose the girl. Do you feel sympathy for Canio?

Well most of the tenors I play lose the girl AFTER they get the girl. All the best operas end with at least one of the main characters dying! But of course, we must feel some sympathy for him, otherwise the end isn’t as moving as it should be. The best stage characters are never just good or bad, they should always be complex and ambiguous, like people!

‘Vesti la giubba’ is one of the most famous arias of all time, and the first recording to have sold a million copies. Is it intimidating to tackle music that is so very well known?

No, it’s a thrill and a privilege!

Having performed principal roles and been in the chorus with us, can you tell us about a favourite OHP memory?

The 2019 production of Iolanta was definitely a musical highlight of my career. The music is utterly thrilling, and it absolutely took flight in those performances!

Is there a role, operatic or otherwise, that you have yet to play but would love to?

Cavaradossi in Tosca has been a dream of mine for years and I’ve almost done it a couple of times but it’s never quite worked out. I’ve been fortunate to do most of the other ones I’ve always wanted over the last few years!

Canio is a Pagliaccio, meaning ‘clown’ in Italian – do you have a favourite joke?

I’ve been trying to get my daughter into enjoying puns this year. Recently she made a series of fruit-based cards for me saying things like ‘“You’re the zest”’ and ‘“I’m so grapeful for you”’. 

What is one piece of advice you’ve been given as an artist that has stayed with you?

My old singing teacher, Ryland Davies, who died recently, used to always remind me to keep a “cool head and warm heart”. Words to live by, both in music and in life!

 

Find out more about Pagliacci / Il Segreto di Susanna here.