Background

Opera Minima (OM) is based in The Old Corset Factory (OCF) in the village of Great Easton in Leicestershire, where many performances take place.
Once a small rural business employing a handful of local women, it is now the home not only of Opera Minima, but also of its Artistic Director Gillian Leftwich, who devises the programmes and directs the performances, and her husband Mel Christie. Twice a year, the living area is converted into one of the smallest opera spaces in the country, with a seating capacity of just over 30.

Music Director is Nicholas Bosworth, repetiteur/pianist/accompanist, who has worked for most of the major UK opera companies. He accompanies the performances, directing from the piano.

After an initial music rehearsal in London, everyone moves to Great Easton for an intensive few days of rehearsal, 2 performances in the OCF, and sometimes an extra one in a church or small theatre.

In 2007, after its premiere in the OCF, "Rainforest", an OM commission by Martin Read, was toured to four counties. In 2009, with support from the Ernest Cook Trust, the opera was performed in 6 schools in Rutland, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. The photo is of the 2007 “Rainforest” team: from L to R, Laurie Ashworth (Gaia), Gillian Leftwich, Adam Leftwich (4 bass roles), Nicholas Bosworth, Martin Read, Eliot Alderman (Chico Mendes), Edmund Connolly (4 baritone roles).


REPERTOIRE
Initially consisting of duets and arias from popular operas by well-known composers, our repertoire has grown to include complete one-act operas and reductions of full length operas – fully costumed and semi-staged – including many rarely performed works and operas by living composers.
These include Bizet (Djamileh), Menotti (The telephone), William Walton (The Bear), Barber (A hand of bridge), Wolf-Ferrari (Susanna’s secret), Pergolesi (La serva padrona), Holst (Savitri), Rossini (L’inganno felice), Ethel Smyth (The wreckers), Flotow (Martha) and, of course, Martin Read (Rainforest).

WORKSHOPS
Apart from performances of opera and occasional song recitals, we run a programme of workshops in local state schools. Workshops are devised and directed by mezzo Susan Moore with baritone James Gilbert on keyboard and two other OM singers. Three or four sessions culminate in a performance for friends and family.
To date, we have taken a reduced “HMS Pinafore” and two opera revues (“Hotel Paree” and “Several Sinful Scenes”), into five schools in Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Rutland.

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