Britten's BEGGAR'S OPERA - USA - March 2008

I have just returned from the USA following the resounding success of my new production of Britten's realisation of The Beggar's Opera. The production was produced by The Chateauville Foundation, under the artistic directorship of Maestro Lorin Maazel.

Last year I directed Britten's Rape of Lucretia with Maestro Maazel conducting, and he conducted this new production too.


Follow this link to news about the production on the Maestro's official website:

Maazel Official website on Beggar's Opera 2008

The piece was first performed in 1948 - when the assistant producer was my dear friend and mentor Basil Coleman!


Here's a photo of Basil with my son Felix at my wedding last year. (Basil, who was born in 1916, directed the original productions of Britten's operas The Turn of the Screw, Billy Budd, Gloriana and Let's Make an Opera. In 2004 I was commissioned by the Britten Pears Library to interview Basil as part of their ongoing oral history collection - the transcripts of our conversations are held at the Library in Aldeburgh.)



The talented young American designers Nick Vaughan (sets and costume) and Rie Ono (lighting design) returned to work with me on the Beggar's Opera this year.

Follow the following link to the Chateuville Foundation pages about this forthcoming production:

Chateauville Foundation Beggar's Opera 2008

And follow this link to a YouTube video of an excerpt of my production of The Rape of Lucretia:

Chateauville Foundation Rape of Lucretia 2007