CHAMBER POT OPERA RETURNS TO SYDNEY AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

Following seasons in Adelaide, Edinburgh and St Petersburg, Russia, CHAMBER POT OPERA returns to Sydney to play in Australia’s foremost Opera venue, the Sydney Opera House for its final season, commencing 11 April 2019. Tickets go on sale on Friday 22 February.

CHAMBER POT OPERA tells the story of three women who meet for the first time in a public bathroom. One is in an abusive relationship, another is terrified that she has come on too strong on a date, and the third has been promoted through the glass ceiling to land her dream job. Together they sing of shared histories, traumas and fantasies using a catalogue of popular music from the operas of Puccini, Mozart and Bizet.

A uniquely intimate production, CHAMBER POT OPERA will be performed for only 42 audience members at a time in the elegant Playhouse Ladies Bathroom at the Sydney Opera House. The three performers will utilise the entirety of the splendid and intimate space from the bathroom sinks and decorative mirrors to the hand dryers and toilet stalls to weave together a story in a setting where women can safely express themselves.

Originally performed in November 2016, this new season of CHAMBER POT OPERA Is due in no small part to the Sydney Opera House’s commitment to creating new operas for contemporary audiences as well as its commitment to fostering new, young, and exciting artistic talent.

CHAMBER POT OPERA features a talented team of singers and creatives from NIDA and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Created by director Clemence Williams (Banging Denmark), musical director Keiren Brandt-Sawdy (Mansfield Park) and dramaturg Thomas De Angelis (Unfinished Works) and with a cast including Sally Alrich-Smythe (The Phantom of the Opera), Britt Lewis (Rent) and Jessica Westcott (La Boheme), this production brings together Australia’s next generation of opera performers and creators.

Director and co-creator Clemence Williams says that this season “is the culmination of three years of touring the world and bringing our message of the timelessness and beauty of opera to the masses, one bathroom at a time!” The idea for the show came from Williams’ own experience being a performer confined to the ‘bitches, witches and breeches’ roles in opera.

Dramaturg and co-creator Thomas De Angelis says, “It seemed like the right time to bring Chamber Pot Opera home, and particularly to stage it in Australia’s most recognisable cultural institution, the Sydney Opera House. We’ve made some changes to the show and added some new material – and crucially, we’ve tried to keep the ticket prices as low as possible to maximise the accessibility of the show.”

CHAMBER POT OPERA is the only opera written and designed specifically for publicly accessible women’s bathrooms. It’s sure to delight opera novices and aficionados alike.

“Chamber Pot Opera makes opera accessible, celebrates the power women can have when they choose to support each other, and forces audiences to rethink their opinions of performance spaces.” - Broadway World

“Don’t be surprised to see these singers on great operatic stages in the future. In the meantime, go along and see this great little show — it’s a gem.” - Adelaide Advertiser

“For those who love Opera you must see this, for those who are novices, you also must see this.” - Stage Whispers

CHAMBER POT OPERA

Presented by bontom Productions and Sydney Opera House

Created by Keiren Brandt-Sawdy, Thomas De Angelis and Clemence Williams

Directed by Clemence Williams

Musical Direction by Keiren Brandt-Sawdy

Dramaturgy by Thomas De Angelis

With Sally Alrich-Smythe, Britt Lewis and Jessica Westcott

Venue: The Playhouse Ladies Bathroom, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point

Season: 11 – 28 April 2019

Times: 7pm and 8:30pm

Duration: 45 minutes (no interval)

Price: $45.00 - $55.00

Bookings: Tickets on sale from Friday 22 Feb at https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/events/whats-on/opera/2019/chamber-pot-opera.html or 9250 7111