Help get my first opera performed

PAWN QUEEN - a new opera

Hello, my name is John, founder of Everyman Opera. A librettist, I am fundraising to put on the first opera stage production of my work, Pawn Queen in 2025.

The Concept

This project's concept is to present entertaining, socially inclusive, low cost opera, in not your usual location, to not your usual opera audience. Putting on performances in an industrial pub unit, for instance, which are just an hour long, with a small cast, no orchestra (one pianist will suffice), and no conductor. I believe that an entertaining story well told is what primarily appeals to viewers. That putting on performances before small audiences will bring greater enjoyment to each onlooker through their being acutely aware that it is their presence that makes the intimate, shared experience one that is quite special.

The Aim

This project intends to deliver intriguing, dramatic, new tales, in an operatic form, to spectators who might normally never consider going to an opera performance. I hope to see singers from diverse backgrounds perform on stage.

The Target

The £2000 that I am asking for is needed to pay The Arts Fundraisers consultants. They have a better chance of securing Arts Council of England (ACE) funding on my project's behalf. This sum also covers the cost of fees. The Arts Fundraisers present strong bids to ACE on the behalf of artists, which generally succeed at the first attempt.

The Cost Breakdown

1. Crowdfund £2000 to hire The Arts Fundraisers consultants to present opera project to the Arts Council of England. Response time: 2 months;

2. On successfully securing the 90% of the estimated £26,000 required to produce the opera, fund the remaining 10% (become a charity and run events; crowdfund again; etc). Meantime, Spyros Syrmos composes the music to the opera in his laboratory. This takes 6 - 8 months;

3. Hire a production manager and music director. These people to put together the team required for the production. Rehearsals to occur over 10 days (including full, final dress rehearsal). Performance run for 3 days.

The Opera

Pawn Queen is a story about a young woman who overcomes adversity through the power of love. Though a pawn to others with greater power, her stratagem is to make the most of opportunities when they present themselves. That by deft use of her talents, and guile, she can free herself of the social strictures imposed on her.

Set in southern India, Pawn Queen recounts a young woman’s escape from a life of sex work. An operatic rags-to-riches tale about a pawn of a girl who succeeds in crossing the chess board of life to become queen.

The Librettist

Furloughed from work for most of 2020, I commissioned professional librettist Lila Palmer to coach me in operatic writing. I have since completed eight libretti, and teamed up with composers: award winning Spyros Syrmos, and John McCool.

In 2023, I created Everyman Opera, an industrial parks model of opera devised to bring affordable, accessible performances to new audiences. New stories by living creators and composers, performed in intimate, casual dress venues. An Arts Council of England grant will hopefully see a first performance of my creation, Pawn Queen in 2025.

I am is well crafted in the creative process. Songwriting since the age of ten (mainly folk, ballad and blues), I have produced and sang on my ‘Mississippi’ album, in 2005. My music is coloured by many genres and life experiences.

I graduated with an MA Theatre for Development from Winchester University, UK in 2002. I have since worked as a media and theatre workshop facilitator in Kenya on projects improving health awareness in rural communities, and the transfer of tribal indigenous knowledge between generations. In the UK, I facilitated workshops and events between host residents and asylum groups to better community relations.

I enjoy sailing. When not at the helm, I’ll be found at home with my partner Fiona, and dog Spog in Oxford.

The Freebies

Final dress rehearsal night free (there then follows a run of three performance nights priced at £20 a head).

The Rewards

Donate entire £2000: four free, front of house, first night seats, to the opera Pawn Queen, and each of the seven Everyman Opera productions ready to follow. One bottle of quality, sparkling fine wine for the 2025 production included.

Donate £1000: three free, front of house, first night seats, to the opera Pawn Queen. One bottle of quality, sparkling fine wine for the 2025 production included.

Donate £500: two free, front of house, first night seats, to the opera Pawn Queen. One bottle of quality, sparkling fine wine for the 2025 production included.

The More

My Everyman Opera fb page promotes this project. It furnishes both its philosophy and development over the year. You can also read more of my arts orientated blogs at Art of the Divine.

The Pieces

LAYAKARI (F) devadasi - soprano

SUNITHA (F) gharwalli devadasi - contralto

MORDECHAI (M) street trader - tenor

OPHIR (M) smuggler/ henchman - baratone

Dr. BABU LUCRE (M) gangster boss - basso profundo

The Chessboard

Southern India, an undisclosed temple; Babu Lucre’s home, Kochi.

The Game

ACT I - Pawn

Before a temple in southern India. Mordechai and Ophir espy Layakari and Sunitha. Sunitha encourages Layakari to always seek the advantage in life, and draws on the game of chess by example. Mordechai and Ophir encourage them to dance for gold. Layakari dances seductively, which enrages the locals, who chase Mordechai and Ophir away.

ACT II - Knight

Mordechai and Ophir return to the temple. Ophir offers gold to Sunitha for Mordechai to lose his virginity: a wedding gift to his cousin, but demands this must be with a virgin. Sunitha accepts. Layakari and Mordechai are left alone. Mordechai realises ‘one woman, one man, for life’, is his preferred practice. He creates a diversion then invites Layakari to elope. Recalling Sunitha’s advice, Layakari leads him away.

ACT III - King

Babu Lucre’s home, Kochi. Mordechai, Layakari and Ophir arrive before Babu Lucre. He dismisses Mordechai and Ophir on a mission, then shows Layakari a chest of gold coin. He offers to pay her worth in dance if she performs. Layakari dances and Babu Lucre showers her in coin. After, when she stoops to gather the coin, he insults her. Layakari throws the gold at him. He threatens her, then has his henchman return her to the temple.

ACT IV - Castle

At the temple, Layakari expresses regret at spurning the gold. Mordechai listens, unseen. He explains how Babu Lucre invites many to entertain him; that he casts gold at them too, but never allows them to leave with even a coin. He tosses a coin into a bowl. This gives Sunitha an idea to fashion a dress with hidden folds to capture coins falling onto it. The trio agree a plan to fleece Babu Lucre at Ophir’s forthcoming wedding.

ACT V - Queen

Wearing masks and Lakṣmī dresses, Layakari and Sunitha perform for Ophir and Babu Lucre. Gold coin rains down on the dancers as they perform. Babu Lucre pulls one to him, and removes her mask. Sunitha. Suspicious, heturns to the second dancer, Layakari, but before he can trap her Mordechai, dressed as Hanuman enters, joins the dance. Ophir realises Mordechai protects Layakari, and so joins the dance to distract Babu Lucre. As the dance ends, Ophir exchanges crowns with Hanuman. Mordechai, Layakari and Sunitha escape from the unsuspecting Babu Lucre.

The End - The Beginning