Good singing is good singing

ORAN Mor seldom ceases to surprise, in terms of what the basement theatre offers to the watching world.

This week, audiences are set to have their eyes opened wide when opera will be performed, as part of the musical theatre season, for the very first time.

International opera stars Christina Dunwoodie, John Hudson and Julian Tovey will appear in a production of Tosca: the Henchman’s Tale, with Neil Thomas playing the Henchman.

Of course, as we know, opera is bigger than the demands of Brexit negotiations, and often even more expensive than Theresa May’s shoes.

But Christina, who plays Tosca, says this scaled-down production will do nothing but increase Glasgow’s love for opera.

“That’s what I’m hoping,” says the singer, smiling.

“Puccini’s opera isn’t changed but we’ve cut it down to the essence with three main characters, with the Henchman being the elevated character who lets us know what’s going on.”

The idea is that opera will be more accessible, and audiences won’t have to rely upon translations.

The story, as in all opera, is more convoluted than soap opera. But all we need to know is that Tosca is a famous opera singer who is love with an artist, who is involved in a resistance movement against the regime.

Along the way we come up with a delicious deadly spiral of true love, sadistic lust and murder.

“Yes, it’s all in there,” says Christina, smiling. “Arrests, torture, and self-sacrifice when a woman has to give herself to save her partner.

“It’s been said it has resonances with Dennis Hopper’s Blue Velvet.”

Christina, who was a member of Scottish Opera, is perfectly placed to appear in a scaled-down operatic production.

In the early nineties she founded Opera On A Shoestring, which was exactly that.

The acclaimed outfit had huge success; the company had a sell-out success at the Citizens’ Theatre until she walked away, for political reason.

“The company carried on but it went downhill, and then disappeared,” she says with a shrug.

“But with any artistic organisation, success is dependent upon the right people being involved.”

Christina, who grew up in Torrance, didn’t set out to become an operatic performer however.

“I took singing lessons when I was a teenager and was pointed in that direction,” she says.

“Up until this time I had sang folk songs and went on to do Beatles songs and gigs with a guitarist. And I sang with a band on a casual basis.

“But I really fell in love with the challenge of opera. And I listened to recordings of opera and found it incredible.”

Christina recalls; “My mum loved Mario Lanza and had a phenomenal voice, although that never clicked with me when I was a kid.

“We’d be singing You Are My Sunshine in the kitchen while she’d be singing in an operatic voice.”

But that connection was with her, unleashed when singing lessons revealed her talent.

“At this point I applied to RSAMD and went on to sing for Scottish Opera for two years.”

Christina has worked across the world, but her work hasn’t been limited to opera.

In recent years, she teamed up with Elaine C.Smith to present a show Torch Song Divas, the theme of the piece revealing how women have been represented in song.

“I loved working with Elaine,” says Christina.

“Our voices complimented each other’s so well. I’d love to do that again.”

Meantime, she’s back in the world of opera, in a bijou production.

“The quality isn’t lost,” she says of her new Tosca, directed by Kenny Miller and designed by Annette Gillies.

“We’ve all worked in opera houses across the world. That will come through. And I’ve had the experience of working in smaller productions of Medea. Small can be great.”

She adds; “Every role is a new challenge. It’s a demand on the voice. And the voice doesn’t stop improving until you start to decline.”

Christina adds, grinning; “Hopefully that day is a long day away.”

Now, Oran Mor has the chance to introduce opera to a new audience.

“It’s all entertainment,” she says of the production, grinning. “Good singing is good singing.”

• osca: The Henchman’s Tale, Oran Mor, until Saturday.