This hilarious comedy opera in English, The Boatswain’s Mate, explores the suffragette movement and is suitable for school audiences from KS1 to sixth form.
We begin every workshop by giving a short demonstration to highlight the difference between opera and a few popular styles of modern singing. We explore the power of the voice and how that power is something that everyone can find within themselves with a bit of will and courage.
We’ve taken this fantastic little opera gem and transformed it into a perfect three cast member production (with pianist) to enact the funny yet poignant plight of Mrs. Waters, a windowed pub landlady and devout suffragette, Harry Benn an ex-soldier and farm owner who wishes to win Mrs. Water’s heart and become the landlord of her pub, The Beehive, and Ned Travers, a displaced military sailer who is travelling through the countryside looking for work and a new life. This comedy gives an entertaining snapshot of some of the struggles and misconceptions that prompted the suffragette movement.
The composer, Ethel Smyth was a devout English suffragette herself who wove many of the values she held dear into this opera. The show was naturally written in English, so needs no translation and is very accessible to the British school audience.
This performance workshop is approximately 60 minutes long in total and can be provided for an audience of any size. Please enquire for more details and available dates.