The Opera Diaries
Introduction
Until 2020, springtime blossom signified for me not only the end of winter, but the imminence of a summer spent working in the backstage shadows of an opera house called Glyndebourne. What started out as a supplement to my income as an artist and writer quickly became a significant, glittering, and thrilling highlight in my life.
Glyndebourne is often described as ‘nestling in the heart of the Sussex countryside’, although I would venture to suggest that if the Elizabethan Manor House, its symphonious gardens and state-of-the-art auditorium were a person, it would stride around quite proudly, Champagne flute in hand, rather than ‘nestle’. Every year, from May until August, this unlikely, sheep-infested corner of the globe becomes a beacon for world-class opera singers, musicians, directors, designers, stage crew — and dressers. One of which, was me.
The Pandemic, of course, swept away the live events industry, leaving those of us who were a part of it adrift and heartbroken. This year, no crisp contract adorned with the Glyndebourne logo landed on my doormat.
And so I turned to a secret backstage diary I had been keeping last summer. I found that scrolling through its pages on my laptop did help to reignite some of the magic…
Sample illustrations
Sample diary entries