2019 Festival

Our second festival at Waterperry saw over 1,850 attendees and a number of sold-out performances across the 4-day festival. Headlining the festival this summer were two large-scale amphitheatre shows; A bold production of Mozart's enchanting classic, The Magic Flute, and an innovative new imagining of Purcell's The Fairy Queen, inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Our 5-star sell out production of Jonathan Dove's Mansfield Park returned to the Waterperry Ballroom to again sell-out crowds. Peter Rabbit's Musical Adventure, a storytelling music and theatre show for families, again delighted children in the secluded Mary Rose Garden deep inside the gardens of Waterperry. In 2019 our Young Artist created 2 new productions, a staging of Britten's Abraham & Issac and a newly devised piece call 'Dream' inspired by the life of Shakespeare. New to the 2019 festival was a series of talks with industry professionals and prominent artists, including with Honorary Patron Jonathan Dove. Our Young Artist Masterclass, as well as our popular 'Come & Sing' Opera Workshop, also returned to the festival this year.

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The Magic Flute (Mozart)

★★★★ | The Stage
"One of the strengths of Laura Attridge’s open-air amphitheatre production...is to tackle Sarastro’s misogyny head-on. Up-and-coming singers are prominent in the cast, each bringing something worthwhile to the table."

Henley Standard
"This thoughtful and very enjoyable production of The Magic Flute is directed by Laura Attridge. On a sultry summer evening in Waterperry gardens real thunder rumbled in the distance and a few drops of rain fell during the first act. Nature joined art." 

Opera Magazine
"Bertie Baigent's way with Mozart was sunshine on a rainy afternoon. His conducting was characterized by sprightly tempos and a sure-footed instinct for theatrical momentum."

Oxford Daily Info
"Last night’s performance of The Magic Flute was a delight - amusing, accessible and a great deal of fun.​ The combination of setting, performance and direction made the whole event a truly magical experience."

Ox in a Box
"Laura Attridge’s The Magic Flute, which opened last night, is a typically bold,
innovative and unfussy production, ​which makes good use of the
natural features of the amphitheatre and bubbles with joie de vivre."

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​Details

Returning Director Laura Attridge (Don Giovanni 2018) will direct Mozart's The Magic Flute under the baton of Festival Music Director Bertie Baigent for 3 performances in The Waterperry Amphitheatre. Laura Attridge’s powerful new production of The Magic Flute will explore what it really means to seek for truth, wisdom and love. Performed in English with orchestra.

Creative Team

DIRECTOR
Laura Attridge

CONDUCTOR
Bertie Baigent

DESIGNER
Rachel Szmukler

LIGHTING DESIGNER
George Lawton

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The Fairy Queen (Purcell/Shakespeare)

Opera Magazine
"Her streamlined concept holds plenty of interest and originality.
​The performance had an earthy swagger."

"William Cole conducted elegantly from the harpsichord, his colourful Baroque band a baker's dozen of talented young players."

Ox in a Box
"If you fancy a Glyndebourne-esque night out without the need to drive down to East Sussex, look no further than Waterperry Gardens. An altogether more relaxed affair, this festival is delightfully unstuffy and it’s a joy to see such an ambitious project, with its youthful cast and directors, succeeding so spectacularly."

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​Details

When a human baby falls into the hands of the fairies the consequences rebound across the natural world with both hilarious and tragic results? Trapped between the demands of the Fairy Queen and King, Puck is left to find a way of restoring the balance, taking him on an extraordinary new adventure through the fairy and human worlds. Join Puck, Titania and Oberon in this summer theatre spectacular, which delights, entertains and explores the relationship between humanity and nature.

In our outdoor amphitheatre this summer will be an exciting new production of Purcell's The Fairy Queen. Directed by innovative director Ruth Mariner, and led from the harpsichord by William Cole, this production explores the folklore origins of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights dream. A unique glimpse into the beauty and majesty of the fairy world, this production weaves a thrilling new narrative around the enchanting music of Purcell’s masque, embracing the natural magic of outdoor theatre-making. 

Creative Team

DIRECTOR/WRITER
Ruth Mariner

CONDUCTOR
William Cole

DESIGNER
Simon Bejer

LIGHTING DESIGNER
George Lawton

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An adaptation of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Purcell's The Fairy Queen.
Script by Ruth Mariner with music adapted and edited by William Cole.

Mansfield Park (Dove)

★★★★★ | Bachtrack 
"Mansfield Park sparkled with wit and ingenuity from start to finish. As intimate opera experiences go, Waterperry Opera Festival's fresh, joy-fuelled Mansfield Park sets a new benchmark of quality, vibrancy and sheer fun. ​Starting at this level, the bar is set remarkably high for next year's festival."

Opera Magazine
"Mansfield Park...was a total joy, by turns laugh-out-loud funny and shed-a-tear sad. The packed audience at the first performance give it a well-deserved standing ovation."

Oxford Daily Info
"Rebecca Meltzer’s sparkling production of Dove’s chamber opera Mansfield Park ran the gamut of every emotion: ​it moved the audience to tears during the rhapsodic standing ovation, and its two acts were an unbroken joy."

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​Details

​This charming chamber opera will be directed by Festival Director Rebecca Meltzer​ in an immersive production in the intimate regency setting of Waterperry House. Dive into Austen’s world and enjoy Dove’s magical music with this unique experience.

Creative Team

DIRECTOR
Rebecca Meltzer

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Ashley Beauchamp

RÉPÉTITEUR​
Bradley Wood

PUPPET MAKER
Jo Lakin

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Peter Rabbit's Musical Adventure

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​Details

This lunchtime show for families, in the gardens of Waterperry, is accompanied by classical string quartet and narrated by actor Oskar McCarthy. Peter Rabbit's Musical Adventures offers music interwoven with story-telling in a dynamic family theatre experience. Not to be missed.

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Abraham & Isaac (Britten)

Thoroughly Good Blog
"Caitlin Goreing and Harry Jacques voices made for an exquisite and intense combination in the
realisation of Britten’s second canticle Abraham and Isaac up in the ballroom."

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​Details

In 2019 one of our Young Artist productions will be a dramatic realisation of Benjamin Britten's Abraham & Isaac. This very personal spiritual story centres around a father and son placed under incredibly difficult circumstances. Our 2019 Young Artists will devise and perform this piece, and deliver it to audiences as a FREE event as part of our 2019 programme.

Creative Team

DIRECTOR
Emma Doherty

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Rory Johnston

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'Dream' (Devised Show)

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​Details

In 2019 our Young Artists will devise a short work based on Shakespeare text set to music, inspired by our new production of Purcell's The Fairy Queen. This performance will be solely created by participants on the programme. The performance will conclude with a Q&A Talk with the creatives, opening-up their creative process to audiences. 

Creative Team

DIRECTOR
Lily Dyble

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Ashley Beauchamp

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