This spring Swansea City Opera will undertake our latest tour, a production of Charles Gounod’s acclaimed and beloved Faust.
Faust is an opera that I have always loved, but for years have never been able to justify to myself that we could do it. The staging is too complex, it can’t be toured and it requires a large chorus. It can’t be done, I’d tell myself.
This year however Swansea City Opera celebrate our tenth anniversary. Since our inception SCO have had one aim, to bring opera to those who usually don’t get to experience it. It’s something that has driven all the work we have ever done. We sing in English in order to make opera understandable and we tour to smaller theatres to make opera accessible. Over the years we’ve been many peoples first introduction to some of the greatest operas of all time, The Magic Flute (2008), The Marriage of Figaro (2014), Daughter of the Regiment (2007) and more. I realised that with this tour I didn’t just want to introduce newcomers to opera, I wanted to reintroduce opera lovers to a wonderful opera that has fallen out of favour.
Historically Faust was one of the most famous and performed of all operas, including being chosen to be the first opera to be performed at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. However, over the years audiences have fallen out of love with the opera, as have performers. The elaborate set; costume and the need for a large chorus are a challenge and one that we have had to be creative to face.
The first challenge we knew we had to deal with was the chorus. Faust’s most famous scene is the Soldiers Chorus. Featuring an army returning triumphant from battle the scene demands a large chorus. But as a touring company this wasn’t really an option. Then we had a brainwave, we would use community choirs around the country to help bring the scene to life. It would not only make the scene work but it would allow people to experience getting to be a part of an opera. Over the past ten years Swansea City Opera have shown a lot of people opera but this is the first time that we’re getting those same people up on stage with us. This is a rare opportunity for people who love music to experience the thrill of performing a live opera. We are working with over 16 choirs across our 20 locations for this tour varying from traditional choral society’s, to schools and even one university.
We still had the challenge of the set; Faust traditionally takes place in 16th century Germany, but with such an obvious Gothic theme, we have set our version in the Victorian gothic era, with a steam punk style to match. As ever the biggest challenge for us with our set is making something that looks good but something that can also be transported around very easily. Getting the balance between a grand impressive set and one that suits a touring company is hard. In the past we’ve had to be very creative in our design, our first production as Swansea City Opera “Daughter of the Regiment” featured a cardboard cut out style set that looked impressive and different but was very easy to transport around. For Faust we have had the team behind the sets of Da Vinci’s Demons, which is filmed in Swansea, build our set and it is one of the best we have ever had. For many people our productions are there first ever experience of opera and knowing this, we want the audience to experience everything we love about opera. The grand sets that operas are famed for should be something that everyone gets to experience. Not just the privileged few who can travel to London, Cardiff etc.
Setting our production in the Victorian gothic era has got obvious links with the horror genre, which is so popular at present. Our aim in doing this is to develop new younger audiences, whilst still appealing to our audiences who have supported us so loyally over the last ten years. We know that in relation to our 2014 tour of Marriage of Figaro only 3% of audience members were under 25. We have set ourselves the target of stimulating a younger audience and alongside this production we have a number of initiatives linked to making this performance as accessible as possible in an attempt to engage opera’s audiences of the future.
Such an ambitious production deserves an equally brilliant cast, and we have been lucky enough to recruit some the finest singers we have ever worked with for Faust. Faust is a challenging opera with complex characters. Doctor Faust in particular is far from the traditional opera hero; in fact by the end of the opera it’s arguable that he is a crueler villain then Méphistophélès. Alberto Sousa and Ben Kerslake (Alternating the role in different locations) have been an absolute delight to work with and watching them explore the complexities of this character has been a joy. We live in an age now where audiences love an anti-hero, someone who goes against the grain. Faust’s descent into hedonism is one we can all relate to, and yet there is something so unnatural about the pact between Faust and Méphistophélès that unnerves us. Seeing both Ben and Alberto explore this relationship with the magnificent Mark Saberton, who plays Méphistophélès, is something that I can’t wait for audiences to get to see night after night.
But the key reason for us wanting to tell this story is nothing to do with Faust at all. When Charles Gounod wrote the original opera he based it not on the Johann Wolfgang von Goethe story “Faust: Part 1” but instead on the Michel Carré play “Faust et Marguerite”. It might be pedantic to point out but I think it’s important to understand the distinction. Goethe’s Faust is about Faust, and Marguerite is just another character that Faust encounters on his journey. It is Doctor Faust’s story. Faust et Marguerite however treats them both as equal characters. Faust, as he is led down the increasingly darker path by Mephistopheles, gradually changes from the hero of the opera to the villain. Marguerite however falls into darkness and despair and yet still is able to overcome temptation. At the end of the opera Marguerite is saved by a choir of angels and Faust is damned. I think an understanding of the differences between these two characters is important. It highlights what a fantastic character Marguerite is, and shows that Faust is arguably her story. Marguerite is the true hero of the opera. I wanted a strong female singer for this role and I was lucky enough to get two in Angharad Morgan and Rebecca Goulden who alternate the role of Marguerite. They have made Marguerite a real character who is utterly believable. The Jewel Song in Act 3 is famed as being the highlight of Faust and after watching these two perform it, with its dazzling coloratura, I think you’d be hard pushed to find anyone who doesn’t fall in love with not only Marguerite but also opera as a whole.
The story of Faust has an endless enduring appeal. It’s been explored through so many different art forms but for me nothing captures the true heartbreaking nature of the story in the way that Charles Gounod’s Faust does. I can’t wait to share what we have done with this opera with our audiences and I hope we introduce even more people to this wonderful opera and to the art form in general. I can think of no better way to celebrate our tenth anniversary.
Hopefully we’ll see you on the road!
Faust , Brendan Wheatley, Director of Swansea City Opera
Faust opens in Barnstaple on the 28th February and tours across the UK until June.
Ticket information can be found at www.swanseacityopera.com
Faust 2015 Tour Dates
Saturday 28 February, Queens Theatre Barnstaple 01271 324242
Friday 13 March, Theatre Royal Winchester 01962 840440
Sunday 15 March, Wilde Theatre, Bracknell 01344 484123
Wednesday 18 March, Buxton Opera House, Buxton 08451 272190
Friday 20 March, Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich 01473 295900
Sunday 22 March, Palace Theatre, Mansfield 01623 412951
Saturday 28 March, Torch Theatre, Milford Haven 01646 695267
Tuesday 7 April, The Gaiety Theatre, Ayr 01292 288235
Friday 17 April, Neuadd Dwyfor, Pwllheli 01758 704088
Saturday 18 April, Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon 01874 611622
Wednesday 6 May, The Borough Theatre, Abergavenny 01873 850805
Friday 8 May, Fairfields Hall, Croydon 02086 889291
Saturday 16 May, Ucheldre Centre, Holyhead 01407 763361
Friday 22 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury 01743 281281
Saturday 23 May, The Pavillion ,Rhyl 01745 330000
Thursday 28 May, The Taliesin, Swansea 01792 602060
Saturday 30 May, The SPA Theatre, Bridlington 01262 678258
Wednesday 3 June, Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate 01423 502116
Saturday 6 June, Kings Theatre, Southsea 02392 828282