OPERA

PURGATORY

CAST

From the Original Play By W. B. Yeats

Composed & Directed by MichaelScott

Setting Designed  Michael McAffery

Costumes Designed and executed by Synan O Mahony

Lighting by Michael Scott

Old Man - Derek Chapman (Actor)

Old Man - Nicholas Folwell (Bass Baritone)

Young Man - John Matthews (Tenor)

Mother - Cynthia Buchan (Mezzo Soprano)

Father- Michael Melamphy (Actor)

Music Director - David Hayes (Keyboards)

Irish Harp - Norma De Barra

Irish Fiddle - Cliodhna Quinlan

Cello - Michelle Mason

Percussion - Robert Perry

Executive Producer - Avril Ryan

Presented at the RHA Downstairs for Dublin Fringe Festival 1998

THE DREAMING OF THE BONES

From the Original Play By W. B. Yeats

Composed & Directed by MichaelScott

Setting Designed  Bronwen Cassin

Costumes Designed and executed by Synan O Mahony

Lighting by Michael Scott

Old Man - Derek Chapman (Actor)

Musician 1 Cynthia Buchan (Mezzo Soprano)

Musician 2 John Matthews (Tenor)

Young Man -Anthony Norton

Stranger - Nicholas Folwell (Bass Baritone)

Young Woman - Kathleen Tynan

Music Director - David Hayes (Keyboards)

Irish Harp - Norma De Barra

Irish Fiddle - Cliodhna Quinlan

Cello - Michelle Mason

French Horn -

Percussion - Nick

Uileann Pipes and Whistles ) Eamonn Galldubh

Executive Producer - Avril Ryan

Present at the SFX City Theatre 2000

Nicholas Folwell

During a long and distinguished career he has performed over 130 roles in repertoire ranging from Mozart, Rossini, Verdi and Wagner, to several World Premières, including the title role in Blond Eckbert (Judith Weir), Mutius Timon of Athens (Stephen Oliver), and Mr van Tricasse Dr Ox’s Experiment (Gavin Bryars), all for English National Opera, Korovievin the world premiere of York Höller’s Der Meister und Margarita at the Opéra de Paris, and several roles in the World Première of The Trial by Philip Glass for Music Theatre Wales.

Most recently Nicholas Folwell appeared as Notary Der Rosenkavalier, Hausfhofmeister Ariadne auf Naxos, Antonio Le nozze di Figaro and Ortel Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg for Glyndebourne Festival, Baron Duphol La traviata for Glyndebourne on Tour, Mr Kallenbach Satyagraha for English National Opera, Klingsor Parsifal for Saffron Walden Opera, and Scarpia Tosca and Dr Bartolo The Barber of Seville for Mid Wales Opera.

CYNTHIA BUCHAN

Born Edinburgh - Scottish mezzo-soprano.

Cynthia Buchan studied in Glasgow at the Royal Scottish Academy and in Vienna with a Richard Tauber scholarship. Her Scottish Opera debut, while still a student, was at the 1968 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, singing the final solo in Monteverdi's Ballo delle ingrate.

With Scottish Opera she went on to sing a range of roles including Mozart (Cherubino, Second Lady); Tchaikovsky (Olga); J Strauss (Orlofsky); Massenet (Charlotte); Humperdinck (Hansel); R Strauss (Annina);  Janáček (Varvara) and Britten (Hermia). Having directed a student production of Carmen at RSAMD, she later directed Scottish Opera's small-scale tour of Don Pasquale.

She appeared at the 1973 York Festival as a member of the Wexford company, singing Varvara in David Pountney's first production of Kátya Kabanová, which was sung in Czech.

Roles at Glyndebourne included Mozart (Cherubino, Dorabella) and Tchaikovsky (Olga). With ENO she also sang Mozart (Dorabella) as well as Rossini (Pippo The Thieving Magpie). Her roles at Covent Garden included Bersi in the 1985 production of Andrea Chénier, which has appeared on DVD.

She sang L'Enfant (Ravel) in concerts with the SNO in 1975 and later at the 1979 Proms.

Performances on the continent included Rosina in Paris, Dorabella in Brussels, Toulouse and Bordeaux, Cherubino in Frankfurt, and L'Enfant in Munich and Madrid.

John Matthews

John  played several roles in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects Of Love, and the Role Of Frank N Furter in The Rocky Horror Show at Olympia Theatre Dublin. He also appeared in and  Something about us by Andrew Alty at the RHA Downstairs. He played major roles  in both the new operas Purgatory and The Dreaming of the Bones.

Derek Chapman

Derek Chapman has been acting and directing in Irish theatres since 1973.

Having begun his career in Noel Pearson’s original production of Jesus Christ Superstar, he became a member of the National Theatre of Ireland, Abbey Theatre. His work as an actor, director and writer has ranged from Shakepeare through operas and musicals to pantomime, and he has worked throughout the world, from New York to Tokyo.

In 1984, Derek formed his own theatre company, Smock Alley, which has toured worldwide. He has acted over a dozen great Shakespearean roles, as well as the challenges of the leading parts in Equus, The Elephant Man, Amadeus, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead and Charley’s Aunt. As both an actor and director, he has been part of the International Yeats’ Festival at the Abbey and the Beckett Festival at the Gate where he directed and acted in five of the nineteen productions at the event.

Lyric FM has also provided him with the opportunity to develop ideas on major dramatic achievements of performance artists across the spectrum through Ethna Tinney’s Green Room, a programme for which he has regularly written and presented.

In opera, Derek has directed Irene Sandford in Handel’s Imeneo at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. He is a tutor of phonetics at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and has collaborated with Veronica Dunne on many opera scenes and a production of Cavalli’s Egistothere. This collaboration with producer Colette McGahon on Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas marks the first operatic production in the RIAM’S Katherine Brennan Hall.

Michael Mellamphy

Currently the Artistic Director of Origin Theatre Company New York, he knew he wanted to act since he was a teenager and after a number of years in theatre in Cork and Dublin, he took the plunge and moved to America at the turn of the millennium. 

After working and owning bars on the Upper East Side, his partner, education entrepreneur Jessica DeLuca, pushed him to make the hard choice, step away from the hospitality world and give acting a real chance. He is a noted performer on several video games including RED DEAD REDEMPTION and THE AVENGERS .

KathleenTynan

Kathleen Tynan studied at the RIAM with Paul Deegan and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Laura Sarti. Other teachers with whom she studied include Marie McLaughlin and Janice Chapman. On leaving college she made her début with Wexford Festival Opera in Koenigskinder and as a consequence was invited to represent Ireland at the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition.

Kathleen Tynan enjoys a career both in concert and opera, and has sung at festivals in Ireland, Britain, France, Germany, Portugal and Bermuda. She has given recitals in Dublin at the John Field Room and the Hugh Lane Gallery and throughout Ireland in association with Music Network.

Her repertoire also includes first performances of works by Irish composers. In London she has been a soloist at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, St John’s Smith Square, the Barbican and St James’ Piccadilly.

She has broadcast recitals for RTÉ Radio and BBC Radio Ulster and has recorded a song recital CD on the Black Box label entitled Romancing Rebellion: 1798 and the songs of Thomas Moore with Dearbhla Collins and the Irish Piano Trio. She has sung roles for Wexford Festival Opera, Opera Ireland, OTC, Anna Livia Opera, D’Oyly Carte and Carl Rosa Opera. Kathleen Tynan has been guest soloist with the RTÉ NSO, RTÉCO, Ulster Orchestra, London Festival Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, BBC Concert Orchestra, L’Orchèstre Philharmonie de Lorraine and Bergische Symphoniker.

Kathleen is currently the Royal Irish Academy Head of Vocal Studies and Opera.

Anthony Norton

Anthony is one of Ireland’s most accomplished and versatile lyric tenors. 

As a solo artist and as one of the internationally acclaimed Three Irish Tenors he has toured America, Canada, Europe and as far afield as India, Taiwan, Japan and the Caribbean. 

He studied singing, piano, ‘cello and conducting at Trinity college of Music London before embarking on a career as a singer. He began his career with The Scottish Opera before moving to Teatro La Scala Di Milano, where he was resident for a number of years. His work as a soloist in opera, concert, oratorio and musical theatre has seen him perform in venues from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden to Carnegie Hall and Broadway. 

At home in Ireland,  he has performed with every major orchestra and ensemble, including RTE Symphony and Concert Orchestras, Opera Ireland, Wexford Festival Opera and numerous concert appearances with some of Ireland’s leading chamber musicians. Further to the operatic and classical repertoires his ensemble Passion has notable success performing songs from French Cabaret, Tango and popular songs from Spain, Italy and South America.

Associate Lecturer at Edgehill University and a regular presenter of workshops and seminars at universities, colleges and businesses in Ireland and the UK.

Director of the NORTON VOICE STUDIO, Anthony Norton FHEA, GTCL (Hons), LTCL (Teacher - Singing), Dip. (Anatomy & Physiology) Cert. Choral Music Education, is a graduate of Trinity College of Music, London, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK and certified in Choral Music Education from CME Chicago. 

He teaches singing integrating a broad spectrum of method and technique rooted in Classical Bel Canto tradition as well as delivering the diverse skills demanded of performers and students of musical theatre, jazz, pop and the contemporary recording artist. 

Drawing upon a successful performance career, extensive research and many years teaching experience, his broad understanding and application of diverse vocal needs has earned Anthony Norton an international reputation as a leading protagonist in the world of singing teaching.