Operaplayhouse
“Spellbinding… these guys are my annual treat” Peter Florence, Director of the Hay on Wye Festival
Pippa and her colleague, Karl Daymond, started ‘Operaplayhouse’ after working together in Antwerp for Muziktheater Transparant some years ago.
They have had great success with their witty, entertaining duo performances and have taken their unique programmes to the Caribbean (‘Nelson and Emma’, performed in Nevis for the 200th anniversary of Lord Nelson’s death), to Spain, Kenya and throughout the UK; and to concert halls, music societies and Festivals such as Hay-on-Wye, Cheltenham, Bath and on SkyArts TV. In addition, they had great fun creating their own mobile Opera House and taking it to Festivals, such as the London Lovebox Festival and the Blaenavon Heritage Festival.
BBC Television made a documentary, shown on both BBC 1 and 2, about Karl and Pippa’s first summer, touring their ‘Smallest Opera House in the World’ – a twenty seven foot mobile Opera House on, and in which, they performed versions of their many shows. After a glorious life, it retired to Karl’s garden some years ago.
In Summer 2013, Pippa and Karl devised ‘Wye, oh!,Wye’ for Chepstow Museum/Heritage Fund. A celebration of the eighteenth century Wye Tour – staged, costumed, with 90 singers/actors – and performed in sequence along the River Wye in eight venues culminating in performances in the Monmouth Theatre and Chepstow Drill Hall.
As well as devising and directing their own shows, Karl and Pippa’s education work included developing their own group of semi-professional and professional singers. This group performed at The Royal Albert Hall, The Mayfield Festival, The Fishguard Festival, The Aylesbury Festival Theatre, in Andalucia, Africa, at The Godolphin School and in productions of Magic Flute, Dido and Aeneas, The Fairy Queen, 'Scenes from a Marriage', 'Come to the Party', along with many Opera Galas.
Karl Daymond 1965 - 2017
‘A Brilliant show, super-talented, very funny and totally professional.‘
Arts Council of Wales
