This Halloween, Gothic Opera presents Maria de Rudenz by Donizetti, fully staged with a new arrangement for chamber orchestra, at historic venue Battersea Arts Centre, London. This production will be the first time Maria de Rudenz has been staged in the UK.
Maria de Rudenz is inspired by an episode of Matthew Gregory Lewis’s gothic novel The Monk, and tells a gory story of deceit, murder, betrayal, and resurrection from the dead. It premiered in 1838 in Venice.
Friday 1 November, 7.30pm
Saturday 2 November, 7.30pm
Director: Lysanne van Overbeek
Conductor:Anna Castro Grinstein
Maria: Lorna McLean
Corrado: Kieran Rayner
Enrico: Davide Basso
Mathilde: Béatrice de Larragoïti
Rambaldo: Gheorghe Palcu
Chancellor: Jamie Formoy
Chorus:
Valerie Wong
Katey Rylands
Alexander White
Samuel Snowden
Joe Ashmore
This Halloween, Gothic Opera presents Maria de Rudenz by Donizetti, fully staged with a new arrangement for chamber orchestra, at historic venue Battersea Arts Centre, London. This production will be the first time Maria de Rudenz has been staged in the UK.
Maria de Rudenz is inspired by an episode of Matthew Gregory Lewis’s gothic novel The Monk, and tells a gory story of deceit, murder, betrayal, and resurrection from the dead. It premiered in 1838 in Venice.
Friday 1 November, 7.30pm
Saturday 2 November, 7.30pm
Director: Lysanne van Overbeek
Conductor:Anna Castro Grinstein
Maria: Lorna McLean
Corrado: Kieran Rayner
Enrico: Davide Basso
Mathilde: Béatrice de Larragoïti
Rambaldo: Gheorghe Palcu
Chancellor: Jamie Formoy
Chorus:
Valerie Wong
Katey Rylands
Alexander White
Samuel Snowden
Joe Ashmore
Gualtiero – Il Pirata himself – was Imogene’s first love, but he has been a pirate on the high seas since a feud with Ernesto. Imogene was forced to marry Ernesto and together they have a son. The opera opens with a storm and Gualtiero is shipwrecked on the rocks of Ernesto’s island… the drama begins! As Gualtiero and Ernesto fight over Imogene, who will emerge victorious? You’ll have to come along and find out!
We’ve started rehearsals already, all my cast mates and the creative team are both talented and lovely (ideal!), already I can tell this is going to be a special show.
Performances are on 13th, 15th & 16th February at 5:30pm.
Gates open: 4:30pm
Dinner interval: 6.30 – 7.30pm.
CAST:
Imogene: Rebecca Ryan
Gualtiero: Zachary McCulloch
Ernesto: Kieran Rayner
Itulbo: Scott Biezett
Adele: Alexandra Appleby Woodhouse
Solitario: William McElwee
Director: Rhona Fraser
Conductor: Mark Carter
Repetiteur: Catherine Norton
Sung in Italian with chorus and orchestra.
Address:
Canna House
24 Moana Rd, Days Bay
Wellington
Gualtiero – Il Pirata himself – was Imogene’s first love, but he has been a pirate on the high seas since a feud with Ernesto. Imogene was forced to marry Ernesto and together they have a son. The opera opens with a storm and Gualtiero is shipwrecked on the rocks of Ernesto’s island… the drama begins! As Gualtiero and Ernesto fight over Imogene, who will emerge victorious? You’ll have to come along and find out!
We’ve started rehearsals already, all my cast mates and the creative team are both talented and lovely (ideal!), already I can tell this is going to be a special show.
Performances are on 13th, 15th & 16th February at 5:30pm.
Gates open: 4:30pm
Dinner interval: 6.30 – 7.30pm.
CAST:
Imogene: Rebecca Ryan
Gualtiero: Zachary McCulloch
Ernesto: Kieran Rayner
Itulbo: Scott Biezett
Adele: Alexandra Appleby Woodhouse
Solitario: William McElwee
Director: Rhona Fraser
Conductor: Mark Carter
Repetiteur: Catherine Norton
Sung in Italian with chorus and orchestra.
Address:
Canna House
24 Moana Rd, Days Bay
Wellington
Gualtiero – Il Pirata himself – was Imogene’s first love, but he has been a pirate on the high seas since a feud with Ernesto. Imogene was forced to marry Ernesto and together they have a son. The opera opens with a storm and Gualtiero is shipwrecked on the rocks of Ernesto’s island… the drama begins! As Gualtiero and Ernesto fight over Imogene, who will emerge victorious? You’ll have to come along and find out!
We’ve started rehearsals already, all my cast mates and the creative team are both talented and lovely (ideal!), already I can tell this is going to be a special show.
Performances are on 13th, 15th & 16th February at 5:30pm.
Gates open: 4:30pm
Dinner interval: 6.30 – 7.30pm.
CAST:
Imogene: Rebecca Ryan
Gualtiero: Zachary McCulloch
Ernesto: Kieran Rayner
Itulbo: Scott Biezett
Adele: Alexandra Appleby Woodhouse
Solitario: William McElwee
Director: Rhona Fraser
Conductor: Mark Carter
Repetiteur: Catherine Norton
Sung in Italian with chorus and orchestra.
Address:
Canna House
24 Moana Rd, Days Bay
Wellington
The Dowager’s Oyster – An Operetta
Presented by Cantata Dramatica
Music: Louis Mander
Lyrics: Jack Cherry & George Logan
Performance date: Thursday 8 th May, 2025
Venue: The Reform Club, Pall Mall, London
Production team
MD – Louis Mander
Director – Peter Champness
Producer/Designer – Louisa Petais
The Dowager’s Oyster is a comic operetta composed by Louis Mander with a
libretto by Jack Cherry. It premiered in 2016 at the Grimeborn Festival in
London’s Arcola Theatre. The operetta is set in 1924, blending murder mystery
with comedic farce, often compared stylistically to Agatha Christie’s intrigue
and the humor of Gilbert and Sullivan. The plot follows Lady Tindale (the
Dowager) and her daughter Cynthia as they travel to France for a holiday. The
trip is peppered with gossip, misunderstandings, and scandal involving
Cynthia’s fiancé, Freddy, who is secretly in Morocco with his lover. The story
takes a darker turn when the Dowager is murdered during a lunch, leading to a
whodunnit investigation by Dr. Gibaud, a pompous detective. The operetta
combines satire, wit, and social commentary, making it a lighthearted yet
sharp theatrical piece. Louis Mander’s composition received praise for its
engaging musical style, while the production was noted for its vibrant portrayal
of 1920s settings and eccentric characters.