Opera Anywhere are putting on a rare opera, discovers Nicola Lisle

Opera Anywhere founders Mike and Vanessa Woodward are always on the lookout for accessible chamber operas with small casts. So when Vanessa came across Carlo Menotti’s 1939 radio opera, The Old Maid and the Thief – which has a cast of just four – she knew she had struck operatic gold.

“It looked ideal for us,” she says. “We listened to a recording of it and got a score, and we thought it was so funny.

“It was originally written for radio so I think that’s why it’s not performed much. Our director Paula Chitty has designed a set that is actually a radio, so it all revolves around this old wireless.”

The one-act opera focuses on the ‘old maid’ Miss Todd (played by Vanessa), and her slovenly housemaid Laetitia (Suzi Superia), whose lives start unravelling when a mysterious stranger, Bob (Nicolas Moodie), turns up.

Both women fall for his charms, and even when their nosy neighbour, Miss Pinkerton (Catrin Lewis), warns them of an escaped convict who matches Bob’s description, they still can’t bear to part from him.

“The old maid and the housemaid are desperate for a man, so when this tramp arrives they can’t do enough for him,” Vanessa says. “So there’s lots of funny things going on.”

Naturally, all is not as it seems, and there is an unexpected twist at the end.

“The stranger keeps you guessing about whether he’s a wanted criminal,” Mike explains. “There’s a criminal on the loose, and there’s a rumour going round that he is staying at this house.”

To complete the double bill, Mike and Vanessa have revived William Walton’s The Bear, which they first produced ten years ago.

“They fit well together because both their storylines are about an unexpected visitor,” says Vanessa. “So there’s a connection.”

Based on Chekhov’s play of the same name, The Bear sees Popova, a widow, being taunted by her servant, Luka, about her seemingly artificial devotion to her late husband, Popov. When one of Popov’s creditors, Smirnov, turns up, he and Popova quarrel violently, but then something rather unexpected happens – to Luka’s disbelief.

Mezzo Rosie Clifford, who plays Popova, was the original inspiration for reviving the production, as Mike explains: “We were doing some pop-up opera at Art in Action a couple of years ago, and Rosie performed the aria I was a constant, faithful wife.

“She did it so convincingly and got such a great reaction, I said to Vanessa, ‘We’re going to have to revive The Bear and give her a chance to do that.’ “So we did it very much with her in mind, and she does it brilliantly.”

Completing the cast are Mark Horner (Luka) and Michael Craddock (Smirnov).

For both productions, Opera Anywhere regulars Nia Williams (music director/pianist) and Nick Planas (flute, clarinet and piccolo) provide the accompaniment.

After Thame, Mike and Vanessa hope to take the double bill to various festivals, and have plans for a new production of The Magic Flute next year.

Meanwhile they have been living up to their name by performing on punts and popping up at various functions as singing waiters, singing gardeners and singing cleaners.

Where and when
Opera Anywhere
The Players Theatre, Thame, Saturday, 7.45pm
Tickets: 0333 666 3366 or operaanywhere.com/events