La bohème 2023 Programme

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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 24
I went to Paris for a trip together. And actually, I hadn’t done that in a very, very long time, actually go and do physical research. It was wonderful that we did that. Yes, the internet is amazing. And I have a big library at home of gorgeous art books and I do use them a lot. But there’s nothing like receiving architectural images and atmosphere at first-hand. DO YOU THINK AI WILL HAVE ANY EFFECT ON DESIGN IN OPERA? I’m not sure I know, because I’m not a designer who’s very technical. It’s lovely employing young designers as my assistants. I learned from working for experienced designers, so hopefully they learn from me. But I learn from them, because they bring in new techniques. When 3D digital printing came in it took me quite a while to adopt that. Laser printing and cutting... certain things certainly speed up the process of making the model. For sure, as with all technologies, it will come in and it will change things. But how, I don’t know, because it’s not something that I’m even looking into using myself. It’s probably out of my reach at the moment and not something I will be seeking to do. IF YOU WEREN’T A DESIGNER, WHAT MIGHT YOU HAVE BECOME? It still would have been artistic. I fantasised about being an architect when I was 14. So I’ve not strayed actually that far away from that fantasy. And I think the older me has a bit of a fantasy about sitting in a pottery shed, throwing pots and working with clay. So that’s maybe my desert island dream retirement job. I don’t ever see myself retiring, but maybe I will at some point. IN CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL DERVAN 25
Page 2 and 3: IRISH NATIONAL OPERA PRINCIPAL FUND
Page 4 and 5: A LONG AND WINDING ROAD FERGUS SHEI
Page 6 and 7: THE MANY FACES OF OPERA DIEGO FASCI
Page 8 and 9: IRISH NATIONAL OPERA MEMBERS 2023 A
Page 10 and 11: DIRECTOR’S NOTE I’ve seen more
Page 12 and 13: OPERA ALL OVER - AND FOR EVERYONE O
Page 14 and 15: THE FIRST IR Michael Dervan puzzles
Page 16 and 17: Freeman’s Journal 26 August 1897
Page 18 and 19: 17 - 31 MAY 2024 WEXFORD NATIONAL O
Page 20 and 21: SYNOPSIS ACT I CHRISTMAS EVE It’s
Page 22 and 23: BEING NIC WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER FROM
Page 26 and 27: CAST IN ORDER OF VOCAL APPEARANCE M
Page 28 and 29: IRISH NATIONAL OPERA CHORUS Soprano
Page 30 and 31: PRODUCTION TEAM Production Manager
Page 32 and 33: BIOGRAPHIES SERGIO ALAPONT CONDUCTO
Page 34 and 35: BIOGRAPHIES MUIRNE BLOOMER CHOREOGR
Page 36 and 37: BIOGRAPHIES RICHARD MCGRATH RÉPÉT
Page 38 and 39: BIOGRAPHIES MERŪNAS VITULSKIS TENO
Page 40 and 41: BIOGRAPHIES EDDIE WADE BARITONE BEN
Page 42 and 43: INO ORCHESTRA & CHORUS IRISH NATION
Page 44 and 45: EVANGELIA RIGAKI, MARINA CARR OLD G
Page 46 and 47: ACCESS AND INNOVATION WELCOMING NEW
Page 48 and 49: IRISH NATIONAL OPERA STUDIO STUDIO
Page 50 and 51: INO TEAM Pauline Ashwood Head of Pl

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