This Scottish tour was unusual in that it consisted of a single week at the Glasgow Empire. The repertoire was as follows: Mon Carmen; Tue Cav & Pag; Wed Traviata; Thu Girl of the Golden West; Fri Carmen; Sat mat & eve Mikado.
The copyright on Gilbert's words having expired in 1962, Sadler's Wells quickly produced an excellent staging of Iolanthe which they repeated for many years. This obvious choice of follow-up, directed by Douglas Craig, lacked the overwhelming success of that venture, perhaps because D'Oyly Carte had themselves freshened up their approach to The Mikado with a recent new staging by Anthony Besch.
This version did not stay in the repertoire for long, though a complete recording was made of the cast and this touring version was re-directed by the young staff director Keith Beattie. It would take Jonathan Miller's completely new approach to settle this classic comic opera into the Wells (by then ENO) schedules.
Sadler's Wells Opera in Scotland - 1963.
The first Scottish visit consisted of a single week in February at the Glasgow Empire. The company returned for three weeks in November, one each at Edinburgh (King's), Aberdeen (His Majesty's) and Glsgow (King's).
The nine operas performed were by Mozart (Magic Flute); Donizetti (Don Pasquale); Verdi (Traviata); Offenbach (Belle Hélène); Bizet (Carmen); Sullivan (Mikado); Leoncavallo (Pagliacci); Puccini (Girl of the Golden West); Mascagni (Cavalleria Rusticana).
The Scottish tour schedule was as follows:
Glasgow, w/c 19 February: Mon 18 Carmen; Tue 19 Cav & Pag; Wed 20 Traviata; Thu 21 Girl of the Golden West; Fri 22 Carmen; Sat 23 m Mikado; Sat 23 e Mikado.
Edinburgh, w/c 4 November: Mon 4 Magic Flute; Tue 5 Don Pasquale; Wed 6 Carmen; Thu 7 Magic Flute; Fri 8 Cav & Pag; Sat 9 m Belle Hélène; Sat 9 e Belle Hélène.
Aberdeen, w/c 11 November: Mon 11 Magic Flute; Tue 12 Carmen; Wed 13 Don Pasquale; Thu 14 Cav & Pag; Fri 15 Magic Flute; Sat 16 m Belle Hélène; Sat 16 e Belle Hélène.
Glasgow, w/c 18 November: Mon 18 Don Pasquale; Tue 19 Magic Flute; Wed 20 Carmen; Thu 21 Magic Flute; Fri 22 Cav & Pag; Sat 23 m Belle Hélène; Sat 23 e Belle Hélène.
Cast details are from a copy of the Glasgow programme in the Opera Scotland collection.
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