MWO's SmallStages team romped onto stage with a radical reworking of John Gay's 1728 work The Beggar's Opera on Thursday night at Winter Weekend: Mrs Peachum's Guide to Love and Marriage.
Staged in the atmospheric surrounds of St Mary's Church, the opera told the story of Mrs Peachum, her daughter Polly and the Beggar himself in their bawdy, ballsy take on relationships and the relative virtues of virginity.
Horrified to learn of Polly’s illicit marriage to an errant highwayman, Mrs P contrives to get the rascal hanged so Polly can claim the reward. Loyalty and love are put to the test as murder, rage and fury drive this rumbustious tragicomedy towards its conclusion.
Adapted by Richard Studer, in a new musical version by Jonathan Lyness, accompanied by MWO's SmallStages Ensemble of four musicians, the performance starred Northern Irish mezzo Carolyn Dobbin as Mrs Peachum and Welsh soprano Alys Mererid Roberts as her feckless daughter.
Though the trio of characters may live in the gutter, musically they looked to the stars, with the score bursting with melodies both familiar and new. The perfect way to begin Winter Weekend's music and comedy strand.
Explore the full Hay Festival Winter Weekend programme here.