One of the projects I’m most excited about this season is taking me to a different kind of stage, as an actor-violinist (I don’t think I have to sing…), as part of the cast for OperaUpClose’s reworking of Gianni Schicchi.

The comic opera by Puccini is being reimagined as a new take on issues that, a century or so later, are every bit as relevant and polarising now as they were then. As the blurb says…

Scored for a cast of highly skilled actor musicians and exceptional opera singers and set in an unnamed coastal town, this radical reworking of a classic takes a surreal and satirical look at the challenges of a second home economy, entitlement and class assumptions.

In a world where everyone is out for themselves, what does it mean to be complicit and who should be held to account?

I love ideas like this that engage with difficult, relevant contemporary issues. It should be a fascinating project. The promo video is suitably irreverent - do take a moment to watch it!

The first read-through is this week, then after a development period in early 2026, we’ll be touring the show in March to Southampton, Chichester, Cambridge, Blackpool, London and Plymouth.

All welcome ... from second-home-owners to impoverished musicians!

Tickets on sale soon 🙂