The purpose of the group is to share the enjoyment of opera and learn more about opera through visits to live and screened operas. Group Coordinator: Julie Cooke (click to contact)

When I circulate a list of operas to the group, normally several a month, in the season. Occasionally a member of the group volunteers to give an informal talk about a production or film screening which is being performed in the near future.

Where Various venues within London

Introduction
Most of the operas I list are smaller companies and more unusual venues. I tend not to include the Royal Opera House or English National Opera. The dates of the production are included, and if I intend to go then I will mention that as well. I try to encourage people to let me know if they want to attend on that day and we arrange to meet up beforehand.

The cinema screenings from the Metropolitan Opera house, and from the Royal Opera house are popular. The Met Opera screening is at the Picturehouse Crouch End, and the Barbican. The Royal Opera house is also screened at the Barbican and at the Vue Cinema in Islington. As the performances are limited to one day only (and sometimes an encore performance at a later date), this is a good opportunity to meet in the bar for a drink beforehand. And also a for a brief chat in the intervals.

Occasionally one of the group members chooses to do an informal presentation about an upcoming performance. We are invited to their house for a coffee along with the presentation. Volunteers for presenting a talk are always welcome. If you have a favourite opera you would like to tell us about we would love to hear it.

People are encouraged to join our Info WhatsApp group. This is a very useful way of exchanging information about who is attending what, and it’s also used if people have surplus or unwanted tickets that they would like to offer to others.

Examples of some of the events we'll attend in 2024

• The Rakes Progress, Hackney Empire, English touring opera.
• Forza del Destino, Verdi, Metropolitan Opera film screening.
• Barber of Seville, Rossini, Wiltons music Hall
• Albert Herring, Benjamin Britain, Royal Academy of music,
• the Merry widow, Franz Lehar Royal College of music.
• Madame Butterfly, Puccini, Royal Opera house, screening at the cinema.

Recent Operas
The operas we have seen include:

• Queen of Spades, Tchaikovsky, film relay
• Walküre, Wagner, film relay
• Coronation of Poppea, performance
• Midsummer Night’s Dream, Britten, performance, and pre-performance member talk
• Idomeneo, Mozart, performance and pre-performance talk
• La Forza del Destino, Verdi, film relay, and pre-performance talk
• Maria Stuarda, Donizetti, performance
  
• Dove's Flight
• Mozart's Marriage of Figaro
• Puccini's Tosca
• Hadan's Dream
• Verdi's Rigoletto
• Poulenc's Voix Humaine
• Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito
• Mozart's Don Giovanni
• Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle
• Puccini's La Bohème
• Handel's Giulio Cesare (Parts 1 and 2)
  
• Mozart's The Magic Flute
• R. Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier
• Weill's The Threepenny Opera
• Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience
  
• Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi
• Verdi's La Traviata
  
• Cavalli's La Calisto