Can you introduce your role with OHP this year?
This year I am taking on one of the bucket list roles for sopranos…Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia Di Lammermoor!
What about Lucia as a character are you most eager to explore?
Everything! This is the first time I’m singing the role and the more I get to know her, the more fascinating she is! Sometimes she’s played very much as a victim but in this production we are going to work against this and I’m excited to explore her journey and mind from a strong, yet isolated young woman, to someone who is pushed to the very limits.
You’ve become known for your dramatic portrayals in coloratura roles. What makes Lucia di Lammermoor stand out for you as a character, and how do you differentiate her from your previous roles?
I have indeed played some amazing women…from strong and sassy, to vulnerable and misunderstood. I think Lucia has some of everything. She certainly stands out from the others in the sense that she’s pushed so far that she ends up committing the most awful of crimes. My job will be to understand how she gets there and hopefully bring the audience on her journey with me.
Lucia is an incredibly vocally demanding role. How do you approach the technical challenges of the famous ‘mad scene’, particularly in maintaining both the vocal agility and the emotional intensity that the scene asks for?
Ironically perhaps, for me, the ‘mad scene’ is probably the easiest part of the role, vocally. The tricky part will be to carefully map out her emotional state. I don’t think she is just ‘mad’. She’s a vulnerable young woman who loses herself, her love, and ultimately her sense of reality. Before the mad scene you also have the interval and a large break so I can be fully rested and ready to take on the vocal and dramatic demands of it. In the first half it is much harder as there is so much! The technical challenge will mainly be about pacing myself between the first aria and then subsequent duets with Edgardo and Enrico…it’s a big challenge, for sure!
Lucia di Lammermoor is a character who undergoes an intense emotional journey, from love to despair and madness. How do you safely prepare for such a psychologically complex role, both on stage and in rehearsal?
The first thing I do is to really try and get to know a character, way before rehearsals start. During the learning process I’ve been thinking a lot about who Lucia is and not only what happens to her throughout the opera, but what has happened to her before we meet her. I’ve also been incredibly lucky that our fabulous director, Cecilia Stinton, has spent lots of time on Zoom calls with me discussing the production and the character and how we want her to be portrayed. It’s a beautiful collaborative process and I feel so safe and secure that I will have the support to really dive deep into Lucia’s mind and hopefully create a believable and empathetic character.
You’ve taken on many contemporary roles in addition to classics like Lucia, such as the title role in The Cunning Little Vixen for Opera Holland Park. How do you feel your experiences in modern opera influence your approach to traditional repertoire, and vice versa?
The things I love most about contemporary opera is the feeling that you’re creating a new character that no one else has sung before, and also working with the composers and therefore having a live link to the piece. As I always approach every character I play from an actor’s point of view (once the dots are learnt) it’s useful to ask questions about who they are. With more traditional repertoire, you obviously can’t ask Donizetti or Mozart questions, but this gives you a sense of freedom to explore for yourself, so I think it can lead to a more intimate or internal reading of a character which I find just as fascinating.
Opera Holland Park’s outdoor setting is unique and adds a particular atmosphere to the performances. Do you find you must adapt your performance style for an outdoor venue?
I don’t think that I adapt anything about my performance for Opera Holland Park’s setting. When I’m in a performance, wherever it may be, I try to totally immerse myself in the character in the moment. I try to leave any thoughts of vocal technique “in the wings” (easier said than done!) and focus on creating that electricity with the audience you can only get from live theatre. Of course for this opera, Holland House is the perfect setting and the house itself will become an important part of the production.
You’ve performed with major companies across the UK and internationally, including the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Glyndebourne and Bayerische Staatsoper. What is something that you have learned that has stayed with you across your experiences?
It doesn’t matter what opera house you’re in, the thing that can make this job the best one out there is of course the incredible music, but also the relationships and atmosphere you can create among the cast and creatives on and off stage. It’s so important to be a good colleague, be patient and generous with your talent and also your time. When you’re away from home particularly, the people working on the show with you become your family. Cherish the relationships you make along the way and be kind to everyone, including yourself!
Is there a role you haven’t yet tackled that you would like to?
Oh, so many…but at the moment I am shifting repertoire slightly. I have had 2 beautiful daughters and I’m getting older and I’m finding my voice is naturally maturing. Lucia has been a dream role for a long time. It is a beautiful fit and I’m keen to explore more of the bel canto repertoire…Marie in La fille du régiment for example, but also go back and do some new Mozart and Handel roles…Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, Konstanze in Entführung…I’m really excited to see how my voice develops over the next few years and what new characters this will bring.
What is an opera myth that you’d like to see debunked?
That opera is expensive and elitist. It’s simply not true and I really believe opera can be for everyone. When it’s done right, I think that anyone could sit in a theatre and be moved by the music and singers baring their souls on stage in front of them. It’s a perfect place to let go of the struggles of modern life, switch off your phone (!) and immerse yourself in beauty for a few hours.
What is a piece of advice, musical or otherwise, that has stayed with you?
It’s a really tricky one, and I have to remind myself of this often, but…never judge yourself against others. Just always try to do the best YOU can do on that day and that is enough. You are always enough.
Interview by Holly Bancroft
