Opera Scotland

Hansel and Gretel 1966Sadler's Wells Opera

Read more about the opera Hansel and Gretel

The spring tour in 1966 took three weeks, visiting Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow. The programme for the first week, in Edinburgh commencing 21 March, was as follows: Mon Flying Dutchman; Tue Marriage of Figaro; Wed Hansel and Gretel; Thu Flying Dutchman; Fri Thieving Magpie; Sat mat Hansel and Gretel; Sat eve Marriage of Figaro. The schedule in the other two cities was identical, with the single exception that in Glasgow Figaro was replaced by The Barber of Seville.

This production proved extremely popular over several years, perhaps because the original 1964 cast was taken into the recording studio. Three Saturday matinees on successive weeks will have drawn many children to see their first opera, though it may not have been entirely suitable. Sheila Rex and Rita Hunter had been singing their roles regularly since the fifties, while Margaret Neville and Mary Gilmore were repeating their success from the 1964 tour.

Cast details are from a programme in Aberdeen City Library.