“There are so many people in this business that aren’t quite human, so I try to be as normal as possible within my control.”

I have all the time in the world for Nicky Spence. I first worked with him at English National Opera in their 2014/15 revival of The Mastersingers of Nuremberg (Die Mastersinger von Nürnberg). He was performing the role of David and I was one of his fellow apprentices. To this day I still remember the opening night card he gave us all: a postcard with the original book cover illustration of “The Joy of Sex” with the text changed to “The Joy of Sachs” (in reference to Hans Sachs, the head Mastersinger) and little Mastersinger hats placed on top of their heads.

Six years later, I was in a rehearsal room at the Royal Opera House and there was Spence, rehearsing the role of Laca in Jenůfa. During the break I was greeted with a smile and a, “Hello Mr Choo” followed up by a big hug for good measure. I hadn’t seen Spence since Mastersinger so I was surprised he remembered who I was. When I mentioned this to him he replied with, “I always remember the nice people”, or words to that effect.

At time of writing, Spence is currently making his role debut in the title role of Peter Grimes at Welsh National Opera with two performances remaining in Milton Keynes and Plymouth. Before the tour, Spence took time out of his busy schedule to sit down for a chat. While I asked the majority of the questions, he asked his fair share of me, but you’ll have to read up about me on his own interview series!

“I’m super sensitive to my surroundings.”

As a double-Cancerian and self-confessed “serial people-pleaser”, Spence attributes the former to his sensitive nature and self-awareness. “What I mean is...I found great strength in my vulnerabilities…and I have a much nicer time when I’m not trying to be a big personality.” Spence goes on to admit he is by nature a big personality, but this is a bi-product of the acceptance of his vulnerabilities, allowing him to be more down to earth and a truer version of himself.

A strong advocate for the education of younger singers, Spence is a visiting professor to many of the music colleges of the UK. He offers what he calls an ‘honesty clinic’, speaking to singers about some of the hard truths of the operatic industry as he sees them.

Be individual: “…[It’s] about them leaning into themselves and about what they have to offer the business, as oppose to them thinking what it is that they need to be so you get a place at the table. You can get yourself tied up in knots trying to work out what they want and shape shift around. We’re all from different places and different backgrounds and I think that’s what makes us individual and interesting.” Spence continues, “..beyond that, [be] as technically proficient as possible. Ahead of the game in terms of preparation and languages and [the] ability to immerse yourself in different worlds as an actor.”

When I mention that chorus was never promoted as a viable option when I was at university or college, Spence replies, “It’s a bit shortsighted to be like that…I think these days it’s about maybe they’re realising the idea of having more of a ‘portfolio career’. The idea of somebody just being a soloist is very slim. It’s a shame that there’s a sense of failure if you’re not a principal. And it’s like, there’s not a sense of failure, it’s great. If you are contributing to the ecology of the business then great, and I think that needs to be stressed more.”

“I can’t imagine being more tired than I am now, but I’m sure there’s another level.”

For those who follow Spence on social media, it’s hard not to notice his beautiful baby boy. How has fatherhood changed him? “It’s given me ultimate context”, Spence says. Having a child is “the best leveller”, bringing joy and putting pep back in his step when he’s had a tough day at work. Fatherhood has also given Spence more ambition in wanting to provide for his family and to be the best that he can be.

When it comes to work/life balance, Spence freely admits everything in the business works in a way that’s not compatible with family life. “I know people who have given up their whole normal lives for this business but it doesn’t give you enough back to make up for it.” Working over the weekend and evenings, opera companies aren’t known to care if their artists don’t have time to go home. “Obviously you need to get the show on, [however] I think flexibility is really good.”

Spence continues by addressing illness during the rehearsal period and the weight of expectation to still come in when not feeling 100%. “If you’re ill, you should not have to come in. I feel there’s a lot of pressure [though]…it means it takes twice as long to get better, you feel really guilty being a human being [by not wanting to come in], and in the end it’s not serving anybody, because you’re f’cked and ultimately if you’re negotiating illness then the company’s f’cked as well!”

Thankfully, Spence has been in excellent voice in Peter Grimes receiving high praise from both reviewers and audiences alike. When asked about what other roles he might like to tackle next, Spence mentions he’s nearly done all the ones he’s really wanted to do, except for perhaps Captain Vere from Billy Budd.

He did happen to mention that he’d love to do something with a really big dance number. “I think there needs to be a contemporary opera of Henry VIII…there can be this dream sequence where Henry VIII does this big [dance] number”.

Composers, producers, directors, take note!

“Do you still have pineapple hiding side stage?” I ask.
“On occasion...” he replies with a grin.

David Kempster is back as Captain Balstrode in Welsh National Opera’s (WNO) new production of Peter Grimes. Sporting a handsome white beard, specifically bushier for this production, David could easily be the real-life embodiment of Captain Birdseye selling fish fingers.

Kempster’s connection with WNO spans over 20 years with his first production in 2003 as Belcore in L’elisir D’amore and last prior to Grimes eight years ago as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. In 2017 he moved to Copenhagen with his Danish partner and has since built a life over there, initially working as house principal at The Royal Danish Opera and also as a vocal teacher at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. I last worked alongside Kemptster in 2015 when I stepped in for an indisposed Barry Banks in I Puritani.

Raising two young children with his partner in Copenhagen, and with 2 grown up children in the UK, Kempster reflects on his work life balance: “My two older kids, I kinda missed big chunks of them growing up purely because I was at the stage of my career where you have to take everything. If I say ’no’ to this, somebody else gets their foot in the door. Also, I was fiercely ambitious!”

“You realise there’s a cost to it…you have to make selfish decisions, and it’s not something I’m going to do this time around.” Being on contract in Copenhagen allowed Kempster to be home after every show, the first time in nearly 20 years. Nowadays, Kempster only takes 2-3 contracts a year alongside his conservatoire teaching allowing him to spend more time at home with his family in Copenhagen.

When asked about the current state of WNO, Kempster takes a brief moment. “If it wasn’t my national opera company I wouldn’t feel as passionate about it. I’ve done 20 roles here at least…I understand the financial constraints [but] the chorus is the backbone of the company and I worry that the numbers have been taken down to 20.” Drawing comparisons to English National Opera and their recent cuts, Kempster continues, “I was apprehensive that I might see a similar picture here…but thank God it’s effectively still a full-time orchestra and a full-time chorus. I have faith in Adele and Sarah…and I just hope someone from the Senedd [was] listening”, in reference to the opening night speech made by WNO’s new Co-CEOs/General Directors.

Are there any roles he’d like to tick off his bucket list? Kempster mentions he’d love a crack at the title role of Simon Boccanega, Gerard (Andrea Chénier) or Michele (Il Tabarro). At 55, he’s not looking to retire anytime soon, however, when the time comes, “I hope I have enough self awareness to know that it’s time to stop.”

“I’ll probably end up doing Benoit when I’m 70” Kemptster chuckles.
“At least you’ll be home by 8:00pm!”

WNO’s Peter Grimes is currently touring to Southampton (30th April), Birmingham (10th May), Milton Keynes (17th May) and Plymouth (7th June).

Accessibility within the performing arts is incredibly important and I’ve always been fascinated with how different performing arts companies make accommodations to include those who need them for both audiences and artists. Today’s post focusses on those audience members who require the services of a British Sign Language Interpreter (BSLI).

Meet Wendy Ebsworth, a BSLI for over 30 years. Wendy has made it her mission to be the voice of singers and actors for those audiences who are deaf or hard of hearing. You’ll find her stage right in front of the proscenium arch during selected performances at the Royal Opera House in additional to other theatres in the UK.

I’ve constantly been fascinated by sign language interpreters in the arts. The way they embody the characters, text and music creates a complementary ’side-performance’ of sorts, which I’ve always found a joy to watch. Late last season I got the chance to sit down with Wendy who gave me a brief crash course into her career and her process.

Taking an interest in interpreting from a young age, her first experience interpreting opera was in The Thieving Magpie for the English National Opera. Some highlights of her career include interpreted operatic performances for the likes of Plácido Domingo and Angela Gheorghiu and the late Alan Rickman in straight theatre. She also confessed that she looks forward to the day when she can interpret a performance for British tenor, Freddie de Tommaso.

Listening to Wendy describe her incredible her career, the love and passion she has for opera is truly evident. She enjoys all the operas she interprets, but admits she struggles a little with Handel given all the da capo and melismatic passages. Wendy's process for every production begins with scrutinising the vocal score from top to bottom to identify who’s singing when, who's got the tune in ensemble numbers, and memorising an English translation. Asked whether it would be simpler to just interpret the surtitles, she explained that due to the real estate limitations of surtitles, there wasn't enough information available and she didn’t want to shortchange her audience.

Through the use of her body and facial expressions, Wendy explains how she’s able to describe the music allowing her dedicated audience to experience it. When asked about how she’s able to differentiate singers in ensemble numbers, Wendy used Puccini’s La Bohème Act 3 quartet between Mimi, Rodolfo, Musetta and Marcello as an example.

To differentiate between different performers, Wendy matches the physical direction of each singer while also copying their mannerisms. If she was interpreting for either Rodolfo or Marcello, she would take a one step back to indicate the change in gender and adopt a more masculine posture. With this amount of movement required, Wendy has learnt to be careful over the years so not to accidentally fall into the orchestral pit.

For the first 20 years of her career, Wendy incredibly interpreted entire operas all the way through from memory. Nowadays, she’s given an earpiece and, with the aid of her trusty prompter offstage, Caroline Jaya-Ratnam (pictured on the left), she’s fed a pre-assigned verbal cue to assist during performances. Even with Caroline, Wendy still makes it a priority to memorise the operas in their entirety.

Exceptional interpreters like Wendy are essential for opera and other performing art forms to be as inclusive as they can possibly be. Over the years she has garnered a large following amongst the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community and, in 2001, Wendy was recognised for her services to music by being made a MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Today I want to shine a light on a group of individuals that receive little to no attention. This is Caris Grey. You may never read raving reviews about Caris’s performance in the newspaper, but she and her colleagues in black are an essential part of every single performance for both the opera and the ballet. I am of course talking about the costume performance technicians and dressers of the ROH.

Costume performance technicians like Caris lead their teams of dressers to ensure performers have every part of the costumes we need according to the design. As Caris puts it, the dressers are the “last defence” to ensure the costumes look exactly the way the costume designers intended before they hit the stage. Once the rehearsals/performances are over, they are then responsible for collecting, laundering, and in the case of the costume technician, maintaining any costumes that are in need of repair or alteration, ensuring they are ready to go for the next rehearsal/performance.

Quick changes, as the name suggests, are probably one of the most stressful things a performer and dresser can go through together. The costumes for the opera can be extremely beautiful and intricate in detail, however they are not usually made with quick changes in mind. As such, understanding how to undress someone from one costume and then dress them into another in a very narrow time frame, in the dark, without damaging either costume takes real skill and experience, not to mention a cool head.

Caris recounts a quick change scenario she worked on early this season in the ROH’s new production of Rigoletto. A dancer in the opening montage dressed in a toga was required to jointly carry a ladder offstage then quickly run into a small dark makeshift changing room behind the set. This quick change was done in conjunction with the Hair & Makeup team and involved removing one wig and fitting a new one, applying full make up, removing the toga, underdressed tunic, pants and shoes, and then dressing the dancer into a full ball dress with stiletto heels. The key was doing it in the right order so no one technician hindered the other. This all had to be completed in 70 seconds or less otherwise they would miss their entry.

During the initial stage rehearsals the dancer in question didn’t quite make it on stage before the doors closed. Thankfully, as this was a new production there was time to properly rehearse and work out the logistics of this quick change. Unfortunately, this time isn’t always afforded when it comes to revivals. When Rigoletto came back for its second half of the season months later, Caris was unexpectedly required to repeat the quick change as, after a number of attempts, the new team just couldn't make it work. This is where experience and expertise counts.

Dressing might not seem very glamorous, but it is an important role that requires more skill than people give it credit for. It’s a thankless job that only gets attention when things go wrong, which explains why you rarely ever hear about them. So, next time you’re amazed by a principal that’s transformed from one dress to another in a brilliant quick change, or a chorister on stage with with an immaculately presented kimono, give a thought to the wonderful team who work in the sidelines, carefully straightening and adjusting us in the wings to ensure we always look our best.

“The most asked question we receive is whether we type the surtitles live during a performance”

Meet Andrew Kingsmill, the Head of Surtitles & Subtitles at the Royal Opera House. For those who are unaware, surtitles are the translations projected above the stage during the opera.

Andrew kindly sat down with me and gave me the rundown of how his department works. The process isn’t quite as stressful as typing translations out live during a performance, but it is much more intricate than just downloading a translation from the internet and pushing a button as some would believe.

Every opera production requires a translation (or transliteration for those in English). For new productions a translator is hired to create a translation for which the opera house then purchases the copyright. For revival productions, the copyrighted translations are reviewed and updated (in case of any outdated language, for example) before being used again.

After new translations are completed, they are submitted to Andrew who then reviews and makes any suggestions to the translator regarding the flow of language. Once they’re both happy, the translations are then sent for approval before being inputted into slides.

The slide inputting process is labour intensive and on average takes a full day to complete. Once this is done, Andrew and his team watch the stage rehearsals and begin marking up their scores, numbering when each slide needs to be projected.

I was curious to ask Andrew what happens when there’s an ensemble with multiple voices: “The singer singing the loudest, or highest will usually be given priority. We do try to make it quite obvious though to differentiate who’s singing.”

When it comes to comedic operas, timing is everything. Slides are often delayed longer than usual to accommodate a singer just so the punchline isn’t revealed to the audience too early. One peculiarity Andrew has noticed over the years is that audiences tend to organically follow the music and save the laugh until the end of phrases, regardless of when the punchline comes.

Surtitle operators might seem to ‘only’ press a button during performances, but their expertise is an integral part of every opera. These operators are usually music graduates who are also proficient in following foreign languages. For each performance they read their score, follow the conductor, watch what’s happening on stage, ensure the slides are accurate and keep an eye on the audience all at once.

They work in the shadows and mainly go unnoticed, but their attention to detail is paramount to the enjoyment of the audience. Without them we’d be left thinking, “That singer had a lovely voice, but I wish I knew what they were going on about!”

Meet American tenor, Brandon Jovanovich who is currently performing the title role of Lohengrin at the Royal Opera House.

Brandon was last at the ROH in 2018 as Sergey in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and it’s been wonderful to have him in the role of the Swan Knight.

I asked Brandon about stamina when it comes to singing Lohengrin, vocal health especially during the time of Covid-19, and that question of when to make the call to cancel if you’re unwell.

“I think [it] is just inherent, either you have it or you don’t. For me it wasn’t something that just happened. It takes years of singing, figuring out where to conserve energy and where to give it. I hadn’t sung the role in 4-5 years, so it was a process of warming up and singing parts of the role that are tiring and then taking the best path forward.

“Vocal health is something that can be very tricky, especially in these Covid days. I try to drink a ton of water, rest the day after a show, but warm up and study for upcoming roles on other days. I wear a mask quite a bit when indoors and in crowded places and other than that, I believe that keeping your body healthy is a major key to vocal health, so I walk, go to the gym and try to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

“The ‘under-the-weather’ question…[of] when to cancel is so tricky. There are so many factors. Does the theater have someone to sing the role? Do I have ANY voice or just some notes that are lacking? Do I think I am contagious? All of these questions come in to play and there is no one answer, you take them all into consideration and take the best path forward.”

“Coming into the ROH everyday for work is the best feeling in the world and I’ve never forgotten what a dream it is to be where I am now.”

Meet British soprano, Alexandra Lowe. Alex is an outgoing member of Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House. She recently performed the role of 2nd Niece in Peter Grimes on the main stage and is currently rehearsing for a production of Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire in the Linbury Theatre in mid-May.

Alex joined the JPYAP in the 20/21 season and I briefly spoke to her about her experiences on the programme, especially given the challenges presented by covid-19.

“Observing some of the lead sopranos I’ve covered and being part of world class casts has been inspirational. The support from the JPYAP in terms of coaching has been amazing and I’ve learnt so much.

Despite covid taking away many of the opportunities I had planned, many other projects came about which featured the young artists at the forefront of the ROH. A recital with Sir Antonio Pappano was a highlight of these, as well as singing Musetta in silk pyjamas on the main stage!”

Alex is looking forward to the challengers ahead with her opera schedule taking her to Norway, France and back to the UK. Keep an eye on her website (alexandralowe.co.uk) to see her upcoming roles and appearances.