Pop-up Opera 2024

Specially-created 30 minute performances of The Merry Widow & Don Giovanni

25 May - 29 June

Touring to Perth, Falkirk, Wigtown, Moniaive, Ayr, West Kilbride, Whiting Bay, Coatbridge, Bishopbriggs, Shotts, Lochcarron, Balintore, Helmsdale, Stromness and St Margaret's Hope.

Join us this summer to experience opera on a miniature scale, with specially-created 30 minute performances brought to life by two singers, instrumentalists and a beautiful set of illustrations.

A Little Bit of The Merry Widow and A Little Bit of Don Giovanni are two cleverly rewritten versions of beloved classics - one the ultimate rom-com, the other a moody story of one man’s fate.

A Little Bit of The Merry Widow | Lehár arr. Derek Clark | Words Allan Dunn

The Parisian embassy of Pontevedro – a poor, but fiercely independent, little European state – is throwing a grand party for the Grand Duke. Among the guests is Hanna Glawari, a widow with twenty million francs from her late husband, and the eyes of half of Pontevedro on her to make sure her fortune – by love or luck – stays in the country to boost its fortunes. But at such a lavish celebration full of champagne, good cheer, and many waltzes, her heart and hand are not the only love affairs underway…

A Little Bit of Don Giovanni | Mozart arr. Derek Clark | Words Allan Dunn

In 18th-century Venice, charismatic womaniser Don Giovanni sets his sights on the naive young Donna Anna – with deadly consequences when his plan goes wrong. After a lifetime of flirtation, can our roguish anti-hero escape the consequences of his actions? Packed full of dramatic fights and comedic misunderstandings, Mozart’s ever-popular opera mixes darkness and light in this thrilling tale of the ultimate reckoning.

Kindly supported by Friends of Scottish Opera

Show Details

Running time:
Approx. 30 mins

Language:
Both The Merry Widow and Don Giovanni will be sung in English.

Suggested age guidance:
Suitable for audiences of all ages.

Ticket price:
£7 per 30-minute show - booked separately.
£12 for the double-bill performances on Friday 14th June and Wednesday 19th June.

Concessions:
Free tickets for essential companions and job seekers.
Babes in arms free (no ticket required).

Access:
Step-free access for all performances.
All performances are indoors.

Cast & Creatives

Storyteller
Allan Dunn

Soprano
Jessica Leary

Baritone
Andrew McTaggart

Cello
Andrew Drummond Huggan

Guitar
Sasha Savaloni

Guitar
Ian Watt

Illustrator
Essi Kimpimäki

On stage

Andrew McTaggart and Allan Dunn in A Little Bit Of Don Giovanni. Scottish Opera 2024. Credit Kirsty Anderson.

Allan Dunn in A Little Bit Of Don Giovanni. Scottish Opera 2024. Credit Kirsty Anderson.

Andrew McTaggart and Jessica Leary in A Little Bit Of Don Giovanni. Scottish Opera 2024. Credit Kirsty Anderson.

Sasha Savaloni and Andrew Drummond Huggan in A Little Bit Of The Merry Widow. Scottish Opera 2024. Credit Kirsty Anderson.

Andrew McTaggart in A Little Bit Of The Merry Widow. Scottish Opera 2024. Credit Kirsty Anderson.

Andrew McTaggart and Jessica Leary in A Little Bit Of The Merry Widow. Scottish Opera 2024. Credit Kirsty Anderson.

Jessica Leary in A Little Bit Of The Merry Widow. Scottish Opera 2024. Credit Kirsty Anderson.

Sasha Savaloni, Andrew Drummond Huggan, Jessica Leary and Andrew Mctaggart in A Little Bit Of Don Giovanni. Scottish Opera 2024. Credit Kirsty Anderson.