26 November 2019
The Olivier Award-nominated producers of the 2017 smash-hit La bohème, announce the full cast for the Puccini double-bill, Opera Undone: Tosca & La bohème. The production will run at Trafalgar Studios 2 from 5 February to 7 March 2020. Adam Spreadbury-Maher, Artistic Director of the King’s Head Theatre, will also direct the production, with musical direction from David Eaton. Opera Undone: Tosca & La bohème will have national press nights on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 February 2020 for the two casts.
Fiona Finsbury and Honey Rouhani will share the roles of Musetta (Melissa) and Tosca, with Robert Barbaro, Philip Lee and Roger Paterson sharing the roles of Cavaradossi, Rodolfo (Rod) and Mimi (Luca) and Michael Georgiou and Hugo Herman Wilson sharing the roles of Scarpia and Marcello (Marcus).
Fiona Finsbury’s recent work has involved creating roles in contemporary operas including The Path to Heaven and The Orphans of Koombu (Buxton Opera House). Her other credits include The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre), La bohème (Hampstead Garden Opera) and L'italiana in Algeri (Mananan Opera Festival).
Honey Rouhani has previously starred in Hhumann X (St Lukes / London Fashion Week), Così fan tutte (Dulwich Opera UK tour), The Phantom of the Opera (London Musical Theatre Opera), Love and Peace Quotes (Barbican Centre), La Traviata (Orion Orchestra) and the Olivier Award nominated La bohème (King’s Head Theatre / Trafalgar Studios).
Robert Barbaro recently completed the Young Artist Programme at the National Opera Studio in London, where he performed in Peter Grimes (Scottish Opera), Così fan tutte (English National Opera Orchestra) and Lucia di Lammermoor (Welsh National Opera). His other credits include A Fantastic Bohemian (Grimeborn Festival) and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Fulham Opera).
Philip Lee has most recently starred in The Yeomen of the Guard (The National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company), La Traviata (Soho Theatre / Tour) The Mikado and Ruddigore (Charles Court Opera), Carousel (Barbican), Do I Hear a Waltz (Park Theatre) and La bohème (Soho and Charing Cross Theatres).
Roger Paterson’s opera credits include Carmen, Tosca (King’s Head Theatre), La Traviata (Longborough Festival Opera), the Olivier Award nominated La bohème (King’s Head Theatre / Trafalgar Studios), Mozart and Salieri (Time Zone Theatre) and Cavalleria Rusticana (Kentish Opera).
Michael Georgiou’s recent credits include The Magic Flute (Athens Conservatoire), Aiolos – L’Egisto (Athens Conservatoire), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Murchison Performing Arts Centre), Our Town (Murchison Performing Arts Centre), Pimpinone (Aigina International Festival of Music), Tosca and La Traviata (King’s Head Theatre) and Die Fledermaus (Wilton’s Music Hall).
Hugo Herman Wilson this year became an Alvarez Young Artist with Garsington Opera and has recently appeared in Scoring a Century and Don Giovanni (British Youth Opera), The Battered Bride (Garsington Opera), The Lighthouse and Acis and Galatea (Royal College of Music) and The Messiah (Nevill Holt Opera).
Opera Undone is a new strand of the King's Head Theatre's celebrated opera programming, whereby famous operas are radically reimagined in a punchy 60-minute format and sung entirely in English. This revolutionary new form tears up the opera rulebook for a whole new generation. Newcomers to opera, along with diehard fans, will be able to experience in one evening two enthralling tales of love, heartbreak and deception as they've never been told before.
La bohème is a thoroughly modern look at relationships, addiction and co-dependency in London’s hip and happening Peckham. On-off couple Marcello (Marcus) and Musetta (Melissa) navigate the emotional complexities of a polyamorous relationship, whilst flatmate Rodolfo’s (Rod) gratification on Grindr is disrupted when he meets the beautiful and enigmatic Mimi (Luca).
Tosca is an electrifying tale of love, lies and abuse in present-day Hollywood. Amidst the glitz and glamour of Tinsel Town, an all-powerful producer preys on an actress, seeking to manipulate and distort her relationship with an up-and-coming screenwriter for his own nefarious and troubling purposes.
Opera Undone: Tosca & La bohème will be directed by Adam Spreadbury-Maher, with musical direction from David Eaton, design by Amanda Mascarenhas and lighting by Nic Farman.
This production is produced by King’s Head Theatre, Making Productions, RGM Productions and Suzanne Jones in association with DeVere Productions.