The Project

Aldeburgh Music commissioned playwright Simon Butteriss to recreate the original 1949 play Lets Make an Opera, the play which precedes Britten's The Little Sweep, bringing it into the 21st Century, making it accessible to a wider audience. The project engaged professional artists with local, Suffolk school children working towards a final performance at the Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh.

Let's Make an Opera formed the centrepiece of October's Britten Festival 2004.

To view our gallery of selected images from this production, click here.

The Plot
The Little Sweep tells the story of Sammy, a young boy apprenticed to Old Bob, the sweep, and forced up the chimney despite his fearful pleas. When he gets stuck, the children of the house come to his rescue. But can they help Sam escape the clutches of nasty Old Bob and the bossy Miss Baggott?

The first part of Let's Make an Opera prefaces The Little Sweep with a play showing a group of children and grown-ups getting ready to perform the opera. The audience too is taught what to do, with four songs to sing along to during the opera itself.

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The Production Team & Cast

William Kerley	Director
Christopher Moulds	Conductor
Paul Pyant	Lighting Designer
Britten	The Little Sweep, Op.45
Eric Crozier	Libretto
Simon Butteriss	Author of the new play
Nuala Willis	Miss Baggott
Gordon Sandison	Bob Thomas/Old Bob and Tom
Hal Cazalet	Alfred Clement/Clem and Alfred
Charlotte Page	Miss Rowan/Rowan
Catrine Kirkman	Juliet/Julet Brook
Principal Children cast from Suffolk schools:
Christopher Cook	Sammy
Alexander Dunham	Hugh
Daniel Johnson	Gay
Edward Pentreath	Johnny
Rebecca Stewart	Sophie
Imogen Webb	Tina
Chorus of children from Suffolk schools

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