Opera Workshops in Barnet

English Pocket Opera Company were back in 28 Barnet schools in January & February 2020 with their new interactive workshop. This was in preparation for their upcoming concert at the Royal Albert Hall on 30 April with Barnet schools choirs and orchestras. Along with Paul were EPOC director Mark Tinkler and sopranos Pamela Hay and Danae Eleni.

La Belle Hélène

As Menelaus with Charles Johnston (Agamemnon) & Rob Gildon (Calchas)
As Menelaus with Charles Johnston (Agamemnon) & Rob Gildon (Calchas)

Paul is playing Menelaus in the New Sussex Opera & Opera della luna co-production of Offenbach’s “La Belle Hélène“. Directed by Jeff Clarke and conducted by Toby Purser, the fabulous cast comprises Hannah Pedley (Helene), Anthony Flaum (Paris), Charles Johnston (Agamemnon), Rob Gildon (Calchas), Catherine Backhouse (Orestes) & Jennifer Clark (Bacchis) with the New Sussex Opera Chorus.

Performances are at the following venues:

Nov 13 Lewes Town Hall 7pm

Nov 17 Eastbourne Congress Theatre 4pm

Nov 28 East Grinstead Chequer Mead 7pm

Dec 1 Hove Old Market 4pm

Dec 5 London Bloomsbury Theatre 7pm

Jan 26 Stowe School Roxburgh Theatre 3pm

https://www.newsussexopera.org/booking-details/

Carmen at the Copperbox Arena

Paul will be singing Don José in an arena sized performance of “Carmen” with English Pocket Opera Company in association with United Learning Schools and the Royal Opera House at the Olympic Games’ Copperbox Arena in Stratford, London on Wed 26 June.

This is the latest of EPOC’s Singfest performances with choirs from United Learning schools from all over England, and an orchestra made up of players from London’s top orchestras.

The production will be an hour long performance of extracts from Bizet’s opera, conducted by Kelvin Lim and directed by Mark Tinkler with Hannah Pedley as Carmen, Pamela Hay as Micaela and Pauls Putnins as Escamillo.

 

 

Orpheus in the Underworld

I will be reprising the roles of Mercury & John Styx in “Orpheus In The Underworld” for Opera della luna at the following venues:

Tue 4 June: Salisbury Playhouse 7.30pm

Mon 8 July: Buxton Opera House 7.15pm

Thu 11 July: Buxton Opera House 2.00pm

Wed 17 July: Buxton Opera House 7.15pm

Mon 22 July: Bloomsbury Theatre, London 7.30pm

Tue 23 July: Bloomsbury Theatre, London 7.30pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVmf1J6geuo

 

EPOC creating history

Paul is spending November with English Pocket Opera Company, taking their “History of Western Classical Music (Part 1)” around Barnet schools with Pamela Hay and Mark Tinkler.

 

Orpheus & Eurydice Singfest in Cambridge

Another successful EPOC singfest project in Cambridgeshire culminated with semi-staged concerts at:
West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge on 21 & 22 June,
Hinchingbrooke Performing Arts Centre in Huntingdon on 25 June,
The Priory Centre, St.Neots on 29 June.

Thanks to all the schools, teachers and choirs who took part. You were all fantastic!

EPOC performers were Paul Featherstone (Orpheus), Pamela Hay (Eurydice), Mark Tinkler (Narrator/Director), Mike Cole (piano).

Romeo & Juliet in Mostar

Mostar 2018-203 (2)I returned to Mostar in Bosnia & Hercegovina with English Pocket Opera Company  to perform two shows in schools with pupils from the East and West sides. This was a follow up to workshops we did there at the end of 2016 on “Romeo & Juliet”. Both performances were on June 12 at the 10th Elementary in the West and the 4th Elementary in the East. In addition to our semi-staged performance of “Romeo & Juliet” with the pupils singing the choruses and performing the main characters, the various schools attending performed songs of their own choice.

The EPOC team also included director/pianist Mark Tinkler, soprano Pamela Hay and flautist Michael Copley. Plans are already underway for a return visit later this year to do “Carmen”.

 

Tenor & Actor