# Surrey Opera

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**Surrey Opera** is a semi-professional [English](/source/England) opera company based in [Croydon](/source/Croydon), providing opera in Surrey, Sussex and Kent. The company offers opportunity to emerging professional opera singers, providing the opportunity to work with professional directors, musicians, designers and the Surrey Opera Chorus. Alumni of Surrey Opera include known singers Peter Sidhom, Russell Smythe, [Susan Gritton](/source/Susan_Gritton) and David Soar. While opera forms the majority of its repertoire, the company also performs [operettas](/source/Operetta), [musicals](/source/Musical_theatre) and soirées.

The company premiered the rediscovered [Samuel Coleridge-Taylor](/source/Samuel_Coleridge-Taylor) opera *Thelma* in 2012,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] and in 2017 staged the world premiere of *The Life To Come*,[8][9] by Louis Mander and [Stephen Fry](/source/Stephen_Fry).

## Company history

Surrey Opera was founded by the late Joyce Hooper MBE in 1969. The company's first production was [Mozart](/source/Mozart)'s *[The Magic Flute](/source/The_Magic_Flute)*, performed in the Market Hall, [Redhill, Surrey](/source/Redhill,_Surrey) in June 1970. Over the years, productions of all Mozart's major operas followed, as well works by other composers. In 1976, conductor [Jonathan Butcher](/source/Jonathan_Butcher) took over as Artistic Director, and has been at the helm ever since.

Surrey Opera have gained a reputation for staging new or re-discovered operas such as the world premiere of *Thelma* by [Samuel Coleridge-Taylor](/source/Samuel_Coleridge-Taylor) and *Iernin* by [George Lloyd](/source/George_Lloyd_(composer)), not staged since its premiere in 1934. Their second world premiere production, *The Life to Come* was staged in September 2017. Composed by Louis Mander to libretto by [Stephen Fry](/source/Stephen_Fry), it was based on [E.M.Forster](/source/E._M._Forster)'s short story "[The Life to Come](/source/The_Life_to_Come_(short_story))".

Their third world premiere production, Madeleine, was commissioned by Surrey Opera for its 50th anniversary in 2020 from composer David Hackbridge Johnson, based on the true story of [Madeleine Smith](/source/Madeleine_Smith). Its performance was delayed until 2021 because of the [COVID-19 pandemic](/source/COVID-19_pandemic).

They performed, in May 2023, the UK premiere of *Sense & Sensibility, the Musical* (book and lyrics by Jeffrey Haddow and music by Neal Hampton), based on the novel [Sense and Sensibility](/source/Sense_and_Sensibility) by [Jane Austen](/source/Jane_Austen).

In 2016 Surrey Opera performed for the [Prince Of Wales](/source/Charles,_Prince_of_Wales) and the [Duchess of Cornwall](/source/Camilla,_Duchess_of_Cornwall) at [Minack Theatre](/source/Minack_Theatre) in Cornwall.

## Past productions

Year - 2025 Don Pasquale 2024 Sense & Sensibility, The Musical - reprised at the Minack Theatre 2023 Sense & Sensibility, The Musical - UK Premiere 2022 Don Giovanni 2021 Madeleine - World Premiere 2019 The Barber of Seville 2018 Candide 2017 The Life to Come - World Premiere 2016 A Midsummer Night's Dream[10][11] 2015 Camelot 2014 Tosca 2013 Iernin 2012 Thelma - World Premiere, Die Fledermaus 2011 The Gondoliers, Albert Herring 2010 My Fair Lady;[12] The Bartered Bride 2009 The Barber of Seville; Madam Butterfly[13] 2008 The Merry Wives of Windsor 2007 The Marriage of Figaro; The Mikado 2006 The Beggar's Opera; A Masked Ball 2005 The Abduction from the Seraglio; Peter Grimes 2004 The Magic Flute; Fiddler on the Roof 2003 Macbeth; The Cunning Little Vixen 2002 The Pearl Fishers; Orpheus in the Underworld 2001 La traviata; La bohème 2000 Carmen 1999 Tosca; L'elisir d'amore 1998 Sweeney Todd; Cavalleria rusticana; Pagliacci 1997 The Flying Dutchman; Aida 1996 The Yeomen of the Guard; The Magic Flute 1995 Cavalleria rusticana; Pagliacci; Don Giovanni 1994 The Marriage of Figaro, Turandot 1993 Hansel and Gretel; Faust 1992 Hansel and Gretel; Die Fledermaus 1991 Così fan tutte; Nabucco 1990 Eugene Onegin; Madam Butterfly 1989 La traviata 1988 Falstaff; The Barber of Seville 1987 The Magic Flute; The Turn of the Screw 1986 Amahl and the Night Visitors; The Zoo; La bohème 1985 Don Giovanni 1984 Peter Grimes 1983 Carmen 1982 Fidelio 1981 The Marriage of Figaro; Dido and Aeneas; Noye's Fludde 1980 The Barber of Seville 1979 Idomeneo 1978 Carmen 1977 The Magic Flute 1976 La clemenza di Tito 1975 The Abduction from the Seraglio 1974 Fidelio 1973 Don Giovanni 1972 Così fan tutte 1971 The Marriage of Figaro 1970 The Magic Flute

## Notes and references

1. Allison, John (April 2012). "Thelma, Surrey Opera at the Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon, February 11". *Opera*. **63** (4): 470–1. Cabbell Publishing Ltd.

1. Butcher, Jonathan (February 2012). "Meeting 'Thelma'". *Opera*. **63** (2): 142–146. Cabbell Publishing Ltd.

1. Picard, Anna. ["The Tales of Hoffmann, Coliseum, London Thelma, Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon London Sinfonietta, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London"](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/the-tales-of-hoffmann-coliseum-london-thelma-ashcroft-theatre-croydon-london-sinfonietta-queen-7166316.html). *The Independent*. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/the-tales-of-hoffmann-coliseum-london-thelma-ashcroft-theatre-croydon-london-sinfonietta-queen-7166316.html) 25 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 September 2017.

1. Maddocks, Fiona. ["The Tales of Hoffmann; Thelma; Nash Ensemble – review"](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/19/tales-hoffmann-thelma-nash-review). *The Observer*. Retrieved 5 September 2017.

1. Clements, Andrew. ["Thelma - review"](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/10/thelma-review). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 5 September 2017.

1. Hall, George. ["Thelma review at Ashcroft Croydon"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170906040325/https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2012/thelma-review-at-ashcroft-croydon/). *The Stage*. Archived from [the original](https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2012/thelma-review-at-ashcroft-croydon/) on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.

1. Service, Tom (7 February 2012). ["Thelma: an opera world premiere"](https://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2012/feb/07/thelma-samuel-coleridge-taylor-s-operatic-magnum-opus-rediscovered-in-croydon). *The Guardian*. [ISSN 0261-3077](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved 2 September 2017.

1. White, Michael (September 2017). "Coming to Life". *Opera Now*. Rhinegold Publishing Ltd.

1. ["Surrey Opera to perform world premiere of Fry’s latest work"](https://insidecroydon.com/2017/07/28/surrey-opera-to-perform-world-premiere-of-frys-latest-work/). *Inside Croydon*. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.

1. ["A Midsummer Night's Dream - Review"](https://www.minack.com/review-brittensdream/). Minack Theatre. Retrieved 2 September 2017.

1. Mortimer, Owen (21 April 2016). ["Surrey Opera celebrates Shakespeare’s anniversary"](http://www.rhinegold.co.uk/opera_now/surrey-opera-celebrates-shakespeare-britten/). Opera Now: Rhinegold Publishing Ltd.

1. Ames, Simon (23 February 2010). ["Review: My Fair Lady presented by Surrey Opera at The Harlequin, Redhill"](http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/entertainment/Review-Fair-Lady-presented-Surrey-Opera-Harlequin-Redhill/article-1859115-detail/article.html). *Surrey Mirror*

1. Ames, Simon (18 February 2009). ["Review: Surrey Opera presents Madama Butterfly"](http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/entertainment/Review-Surrey-Opera-presents-Madama-Butterfly/article-709726-detail/article.html). *Surrey Mirror*

## External links

- [Official website](https://www.surreyopera.org)
- [Biography of Jonathan Butcher](http://www.operatalent.com/Safe/People/JonathanButcher59975833.asp?persona=98) on OperaTalent.com

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Surrey Opera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrey_Opera) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrey_Opera?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.