Our latest addition to Scottish Opera: On Screen is Hansel and Gretel, which premieres on Wednesday 10 February. Hugh Canning from The Sunday Times spoke to Daisy Evans about her varied career in opera, and staging Humperdinck's classic. Mezzo-soprano Kitty Whately, who sings Hansel in the production, spoke to The Scotsman about creating opera during the pandemic.
In the Sunday Times interview, Daisy spoke about the often dark undertones of Hansel and Gretel and how she interpreted the opera:
'The way opera speaks to children and adults reminds me very much of the Peter Pan effect: to children it's a fantasy and a joy to watch, and to adults there's a bittersweet sense of innocence and childish determination that we know can only belong to children...there are dark ways to interpret this piece, and David Pountey's translation does not shrink from those. However, I wanted to stay in the light, making this piece about the love these children have - their sense of moral right and wrong even in the face of adversity.'
Daisy also discusses creating opera in challenging times:
'Now more than ever we need to show the power of theatre, the hope and wonder it can bring - so I spent more time on making sure Hansel and Gretel [Kitty Whately and Rhian Lois] could get that across. Of course - the aggression and underlying themes of the opera are still there for those who want to read into them.'
The full article from The Sunday Times is available to Times subscribers here.
Kitty Whately, who sings Hansel in the production, spoke to Ken Walton at The Scotsman about working with Scottish Opera during the pandemic, and the current challenges facing the opera sector. You can read the full interview here.
To get to the heart of this new production, why not read our digital programme? Read about the production's stars, Daisy Evans' up-to-date take on a classic, and how Hansel and Gretel is a family show with a surprising touch of Wagnerian drama...
Hansel and Gretel will be available to stream on our website from 6pm on Wednesday 10 February.