Opera on a Barge!

Today you can catch Ann Dudley's opera The Owl and the Pussycat, to a libretto by Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame). The opera is produced by the Royal Opera House's ROH2 wing, but to find the performance you'll have to first locate the barge. The performances all take place on a barge in and around London's waterways. And because of the barge, the subject matter has to be the Owl and the Pussycat and their beautiful pea green boat. It all sounds very gloriously mad. Jones's libretto is a prequel to Lear's poem; the opera finishes with the Owl and the Pussycat going off in the boat.


The performances are part of the Mayor of London's Secrets a series of site specific performances taking place in an around London's secret places. The website is well worth exploring.

The cast includes Peter Willcock as Owl, Claire Wild as Pussycat, and Amy Freston as Maid One. They are performing at 2.30pm and 6.30pm today (25 July) at Little Venice, then further dates are 29 July (Graham Street Gardens) and 31 July (Mile End Park). Full details are available on the Mayor of London presents website