La bohème 2023 Programme

Image: model for the Act I set
in La bohème. Photo Nicky Shaw
becomes easier as you get older. Because you
can trust the process more and not feel I have
to have solved everything before we start.
WHAT IS THE MOST ANNOYING
MISCONCEPTION ABOUT OPERA?
That it’s elitist. I speak as a UK resident and I’m
thinking of the language around opera in the
general press. People deem it to be glamorous
in some instances, I’m sort of thinking of movies
and things. But it is work, and those of us that
work in it take it very seriously. It is a privilege
as well to work in a world that you love and are
passionate about, and not everyone gets to do
that. But I do think, yes, the misconception of
elitism, people feeling opera is not for them,
without ever having experienced it, or maybe just
having heard some opera arias. If a production
is done well, anyone can accept and receive the
story. But also it’s okay if you don’t like it. There’s
over 400 years of music in the repertoire.
There will be something in there that you like.
WHAT MOMENT DO YOU MOST LOOK
FORWARD TO WHEN YOU GO TO A
PERFORMANCE OF LA BOHÈME?
Gosh, that’s hard as a professional.
Miraculously, this is my first own design of La
bohème, though I have assisted on it. I try not to
have expectations as a practitioner, to be open
to how someone may have interpreted it, which
might be very different to my own. My husband
is an opera singer, classically trained. It’s
always great when we go to the opera together
because he’ll be more focused on the music
and the singing technique which, unless it really
goes awry, I don’t notice. Whereas I might be
twitching because I don’t like the costumes
or the scenery. But La bohème is such a story
of life, real people, people we can recognise,
perhaps, our younger selves. To rewind and
answer your question. I think its the music,
because it’s so famous, it’s the anticipation
of the arias you’re going to hear. And I’m
then open to what other designers may have
produced and directors may have come up with.
WHAT’S THE MOST CHALLENGING
ASPECT OF DESIGNING LA BOHÈME?
The challenge is there have been hundreds
and hundreds and hundreds of productions.
I haven’t seen hundreds myself. As a designer,
I don’t look back at other productions. Of
course, if I’m working on an opera and I’ve
seen it, you have that in your mind. But I
wouldn’t go and see a La bohème in the
period leading up to designing it. Because
sometimes you’re going to have the same idea
as somebody else and that’s fine. We can’t
all reinvent the wheel. The wheel exists and
in some aspects you might make the same
choice, but at least you’ve come to it freely
through your own pathway. Orpha and
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