Die Fledermaus, January-march 2025

Greenwich Theatre & touring

I was invited by Merry Opera to stage Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus, for me the pinnacle of the operetta repertoire. Sung in English in a new translation, the production was set in the 1920s, a transitional age that felt keen tensions between Edwardian morals, and the need for liberty and excess in the aftermath of WWI. I was delighted to team up with designer Sophie Lincoln again, who I had previously worked with on 'L’elisir d’amore.

You can read my thoughts on the piece and production in my programme notes here. We regularly performed to sold out venues and were gratified to receive such an extremely positive reception (see audience comments below). Venues: Greenwich Theatre, The Theatre Chipping Norton, The Kenton Theatre, The Opera House Weatherspoon Tunbridge Wells, St Andrew’s Church Caversham, The Corn Hall Diss, The Public Hall and Theatre Beccles, Holy Trinity Church Guildford, Theatre Royal Winchester, Great Hall Berkeley Castle, Petersfield Festival Hall, Sarah Thorn Theatre Broadstairs, Garrick Theatre Lichfield, St Peter and St Paul Parish Church Mitcham.

Direction: Guido Martin-Brandis. Design: Sophie Lincoln; Lighting Design: Beth Thomas; Photography: Bonnie Britain.

Rosalinde - Bethan Terry

Eisenstein - Conor Prendiville

Adele - Olivia Singleton

Orlofsky/Frosch - Camilla Seale

Alfred - Will Diggle

Falke - Christopher Faulkner

Frank - Matthew Quirk

Ida/Blind - Elizabeth Green

Music director - Elspeth Wilkes

Audience comments

“Having grown up in Vienna, 'Die Fledermaus' is a New Year’s Eve staple, with new takes every year outdoing each other. So one becomes quite critical. However, I am bowled over with the superb quality, charm and freshness of today's performance. It showed so clearly how Dr. Falke engineers his plot and what gives the operetta the title. Every detail had been carefully crafted and everything, the piano music, the voices, the acting, the choreography, the lighting, the stage set (and its changes), all of it fitted perfectly together. Less is more! With little means you have created a masterpiece.”

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“Congratulations. That was wonderful - hilarious and clever in so many ways. The director is a genius!”

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“We loved it! So many wonderful comic touches and the cast were uniformly great at singing and acting which is so rare.”

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“We really enjoyed our afternoon. Loved the show and the comedy. Best was the facial expressions contradicting inner feelings! Show stoppers and poignancy when needed. Loved it. The singers all sang so well. Everyone's voice was clear and beautiful without exception, and with good diction. We went back very jolly with the songs in our heads... what more could you want!”