Pagliacci Reimagined with Streetwise Opera
I had the fantastic opportunity to break down and reinterpret the classic opera Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo with the London Streetwise Opera performer group. The 30-strong group of performers shared their creative ideas and personal perspectives on how to retell the story through a modern lens in 5 weekly sessions held by myself and Musical Director Aga Serugo-Lugo. I collated the performer's contributions of lyrics and musical phrases to compose a 4 minute micro-opera in response to their creative brief: they wanted the female character Nedda to have more agency, ensuring a tragic end was avoided.
Award-winning company Streetwise Opera and director Anna Morrisey compiled a 15 minute performance featuring extracts from the original with the new micro-operas by myself and composer Electra Perivolaris. The Streetwise London performers gave a fantastic performance to an enthralled audience at Hackney Empire on 10th April 2026 accompanied by the English Touring Opera orchestra. Read more about the process and the cast's "upliftingly sincere performances" in this review in The Observer by clicking: here
Award-winning company Streetwise Opera and director Anna Morrisey compiled a 15 minute performance featuring extracts from the original with the new micro-operas by myself and composer Electra Perivolaris. The Streetwise London performers gave a fantastic performance to an enthralled audience at Hackney Empire on 10th April 2026 accompanied by the English Touring Opera orchestra. Read more about the process and the cast's "upliftingly sincere performances" in this review in The Observer by clicking: here
Photo credit: Rey Trombetta
Streetwise Opera is an opera company that enables people who have experienced homelessness to find inspiration and empowerment through music and creativity as they rebuild their lives and identities.
Reimagining the Classics was a collaboration between Streetwise Opera, English Touring Opera and Opera North that flipped opera’s biggest stories on their heads with bold new music. Performances took place in Nottingham, Manchester and London.
Streetwise Opera is an opera company that enables people who have experienced homelessness to find inspiration and empowerment through music and creativity as they rebuild their lives and identities.
Reimagining the Classics was a collaboration between Streetwise Opera, English Touring Opera and Opera North that flipped opera’s biggest stories on their heads with bold new music. Performances took place in Nottingham, Manchester and London.