Simon Boccanegra opens tomorrow night

Grant Doyle as Paolo and Elizabeth Llewellyn as Amelia

English Touring Opera’s first new Verdi production for several years is Simon Boccanegra – a mature masterpiece, and an intimate drama uniquely suited to ETO theatres.

The story comes from the history of Genoa, for centuries a great maritime republic, and from it Verdi creates an impassioned plea for Italian unity.

The composer’s musical depiction of the shimmering Mediterranean is wonderful; so too are the characters he creates, from the rough-hewn buccaneer-turned-ruler (the title role, played by Craig Smith) to his spiteful adversary and father-in-law (Fiesco, Keel Watson); from the embittered traitor (Paolo, Grant Doyle) to the idealistic Adorno (Charne Rochford).

This is a massive undertaking for English Touring Opera, with an unusually large chorus and orchestra – a personal ambition of ETO General Director James Conway and Music Director Michael Rosewell, supported with a special grant from the Peter Moores Foundation.

SHOWING AT:

Hackney Empire
8th Mar 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Curve Theatre, Leicester
12th Mar 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Churchill Theatre, Bromley
16th Mar 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Exeter Northcott
21st Mar 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Exeter Northcott
23rd Mar 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Norwich Theatre Royal
26th Mar 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

The Hawth, Crawley
3rd Apr 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Lighthouse, Poole
6th Apr 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield
9th Apr 2013 - 7:45 pm
Book Online Now

York Theatre Royal
12th Apr 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
16th Apr 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Snape Maltings Concert Hall
19th Apr 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Gala Theatre, Durham
23rd Apr 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Buxton Opera House
26th Apr 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
1st May 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
3rd May 2013 - 7:30 pm
Book Online Now

12th Helpmann Awards Winners

The 12th annual Helpmann Awards were announced on Monday in a red carpet ceremony at the Sydney Opera House, showcasing the highest standards of performance and production in Australian arts and entertainment.

Grant Doyle as "Starbuck" in Moby Dick.
Photo by Photografeo

The State Opera of South Australia won out in three categories for its bold production of the contemporary opera by Jake Heggie, "Moby Dick": Best Opera, Best Direction of an Opera for Leonard Foglia and Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role for Adelaide born baritone Grant Doyle for his portrayal of Captain Ahab's First Mate, Starbuck.

See the link below for the write up in The Australian newspaper and other news sources.

"Excellence Stands Up and Takes a Bow" in The Australian

"12th Helpmann Awards" full list of winners in The Australian

"Kylie and Cate shine at the Helpmann Awards" in The Herald Sun

Helpmann Awards Nominations

Grant Doyle (left) with Jay Hunter Morris and the
Stage Opera of South Australia Men's chorus.

Grant has been nominated for a Helpmann Award in the category "Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera" for his portrayal of Starbuck in Jake Heggie's Moby Dick at the State Opera of South Australia last year.

The Helpmann awards are Australia's equivalent of the Tony Awards, with awards for musicals, theatre, opera, classical music, cabaret, dance and comedy.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/moby-dick-in-running-for-eight-helpmann-awards/story-e6frea83-1226444219566

YouTube video with an excerpt from Starbuck's Act 1 aria:

Making Arrangements - Tête à Tête

Thursday 2 & Friday 3 August 19.10-19.40

Video of performance now online!

Music: Charlotte Bray
Words: Kate Kennedy
Conductor: Alice Farnham
Director: Bill Bankes-Jones
Designer: Fabrice Serafino
Choreographer: Kally Lloyd-Jones

Hewson: Grant Doyle
Leslie: Patrick Ashcroft
Margery: Jennifer France
Maid: Katie Grosset

CHROMA Ensemble

An abandoned husband takes revenge by destroying his wife’s treasured dresses, and with them their memories, love, and perhaps even her very identity and soul.

"Grant Doyle is rich-toned and dramatically compelling as the reliable, stoical Hewson..."
The Stage - Aug 3, 2012

You can watch a video of the complete performance here.
http://www.tete-a-tete.org.uk/making-arrangements/

Cinderella at Blackheath Halls

Blackheath Halls presents its sixth fully staged community opera, Cinderella (Massenet's "Cendrillon").

Members of the community perform alongside renowned professional singers, local school children, young people from local special schools and students from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in a magical production of this classic fairy tale.

"One of the calendar's most heartening events" - Anna Picard in the Independent on Sunday

Musical Director: Nicholas Jenkins
Director: Harry Fehr
Designer: Sean Turner
Cinderella: Anna Patalong
Pandolfe, her father: Grant Doyle
Madame de la Haltiere, his wife: Louise Winter
Noemi & Dorothy, her daughters: Charlotte Baptie & Kate Howden
The Prince: Stephanie Marshall
The Fairy: Sally Silver
The King: Tony Brewer
The Prime Minister: James Williams
The Minister of Fun: Simon Dyer

Pupils from Brooklands School, Charlton School, St Margaret's School and Greenvale School

Blackheath Halls Chorus; Blackheath Halls Orchestra

Don Giovanni opens at Garsington Opera

(L-R) Grant Doyle, Mary Bevan and Sophie Bevan

"I was so excited and priviledged to open as the title role in Mozart's masterpiece Don Giovanni at Garsington Opera last Saturday. We have had two performances now, and it so much fun to sing this opera alongside such astounding talent all round. The rehearsal process with ingenious director Daniel Slater was a joy and having fabulous conductor Douglas Boyd holding the reins in the pit always reminds us we are making music. Our cast is uniformly brilliant: all are great actors who know the story they are telling but also use their personal charisma to keep the characters alive. Natasha Jouhl is my bondage babe Donna Anna, Sophie Bevan the feisty fiancee Donna Elvira, Mary Bevan as easy Zerlina, Joshua Bloom is my endearing and long suffering Leporello, Jesus Leon my nemesis Don Ottavio, Callum Thorpe my punching bag Masetto and Christophoros Stamboglis as the imposing Commendatore. I can't wait to do it all again next Sunday 10th June. Also 15th, 19th, 25th, 30th and 2nd July." - Grant Doyle


"In the title role, Grant Doyle sounded appropriately virile and was a strong stage presence as well as a convincing lead. His serenade ‘Deh vieni alla finestra’ was a highlight..."
http://www.bachtrack.com/review-garsington-2012-don-giovanni

"Grant Doyle is a fine Don Giovanni, floppy-haired and dapper in jacket and jeans... His mellifluous, swaggering baritone (wonderfully sotto voce in his second-act serenade, ‘Deh vieni alla finestra’..."
http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_concert_review.php?id=10217

 

English Touring Opera on BBC Radio 3 "In Tune"

Jaewoo Kim, Sean Rafferty, Kitty Whately,
Grant Doyle, Thomas Guthrie
and pianist Ouri Bronchto

On Thursday, 1st of March, joined by Kathleen Ferrier Award Winner Kitty Whately and pianist Ouri Bronchto, Grant performed Figaro's aria and the duet with Rosina live in the studio ahead of English Touring Opera's tour featuring Rossini's "The Barber of Seville" and Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin".

You can hear the broadcast (starting about 1'08" in) on BBC iPlayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01c9rpl/

Grant Doyle on returning to the mad world of bad baronets in Ruddigore

(Reposted from Opera North's website)

What it is like for you returning to the role of Robin Oakapple and to Opera North?

“It is such an honour to be asked to reprise the role for Opera North in this brilliant production of Ruddigore. I am very grateful for being given the opportunity in the first place, and to know that it was successful enough to be revived so soon is just icing on the cake.”

How does the rehearsal process differ for a revived role rather than a new one?

“The rehearsal process is quite different, it begins with simply remembering what we did the first time around, and then becomes an exercise in finding freshness and spontaneity. Also it is a chance to polish up some rough edges. I have done revivals before where I wasn’t in the original production and I find that more difficult – wearing another’s shoes – but this is a joy. The rehearsals have been progressing very swiftly because we are lucky enough to have all of the original cast back, who are all brilliant actors and singers and are fantastic to work with. We are now ready for Jo Davies and her team to put it on the stage again.”

How do you find performing the two different ‘characters’ of Robin Oakapple and Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd?

“The important thing I have to remember is that there aren’t two characters, it is really Robin all the time. I try to keep him as normal and affable as possible. When he becomes Sir Ruthven, he is forced into playing the part of a bad Baronet but never feels comfortable and after much guilt and comedy torture, finds a way out of it.  It is a gift of a role – a character playing a character, with all the over-the-top fun that brings.”

What do you enjoy most about this production?

“The best things about this production is all of my colleagues, who create a mad world of comedy characters around me which still make me chuckle, the clear and deft storytelling of Jo Davies’ direction and the exquisite sepia flavoured costume and design – love that hat and cape!”

Grant Doyle plays Robin Oakapple / Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Ruddigore, which opens on Friday 30 September at Leeds Grand Theatre, before touring to Nottingham Theatre Royal, Newcastle Theatre Royal, The Lowry, Salford and the Barbican, London. More details and booking information is available here.

Ruddigore on BBC Radio 3

The performance of Opera North's Ruddigore from last friday will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 "Opera on 3" programme, this Saturday evening October the 22nd at 6pm.

Sir Despard Murgatroyd has inherited a witch's curse from centuries previously, compelling each baronet of Ruddigore to commit a daily crime, or die in agony. So when his long-lost elder brother, Robin Oakapple, is exposed as the rightful heir to the title, it's a huge relief. Despard atones for his previous 10 years of evil acts, and marries Mad Margaret, while Robin's troubles start when his weak attempts at committing crimes drag his ancestors back from the dead. However, with a Gilbertian twist, all ends happily when the curse is rescinded. Ruddigore, or The Witch's Curse, one of the comic operas that Gilbert and Sullivan wrote for the Savoy Theatre, contains some of the most engaging music Sullivan ever wrote, and under John Wilson's baton it should be a riveting performance of Jo Davies's production. Richard Burkhard takes the role of Sir Despard Murgatroyd, along with Grant Doyle as Robin Oakapple.

Presented by Christopher Cook

Robin Oakapple / Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd ..... Grant Doyle (baritone)
Sir Despard Murgatroyd ..... Richard Burkhard (baritone)
Mad Margaret ..... Heather Shipp (mezzo-soprano)
Richard Dauntless ..... Hal Cazalet ((tenor)
Sir Roderick Murgatroyd ..... Steven Page (baritone)
Old Adam Goodheart ..... Richard Angas (bass)
Rose Maybud ..... Amy Freston (soprano)
Dame Hannah ..... Anne Marie Owens (contralto)
Zorah ..... Gillene Herbert (soprano)

Orchestra and Chorus of Opera North.
Conductor, John Wilson.

Broadcast
Sat 22 Oct 2011
18:00

Visit direct link to BBC Opera on 3 here.

Don Giovanni at Garsington Opera

Garsington Opera, now at home in the Wormsley Estate has announced its season and casting for 2012. Grant is delighted to be invited to return after singing Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro in 2010. He will be singing the title role in Don Giovanni alongside Joshua Bloom (Leporello), Sophie Bevan (Donna Elvira), Natasha Jouhl (Donna Anna), Jesús León (Don Ottavio) and Mary Bevan (Zerlina).

The production will be directed by Daniel Slater and conducted by Douglas Boyd.

Details at Garsington's Website here.

Robin Oakapple's Letter to Dick Dauntless

Robin Oakapple
Oakapple Farm
Penzance Road
Rederring
Cornwall

Boatswain's Mate, Mr Richard Dauntless
HMS "Tom-Tit"
British Merchant Navy
Somewhere in the North Atlantic Ocean

Sunday, April 17th, 1927


Dear Dick,

I am writing this letter with the faint hope that it should reach you, and find you hale and hearty. We have been parted ten years now and I think of you often, my dearest friend and foster-brother.

Your little home village of Rederring is much as you left it. My farm, however, has expanded from a modest dairy homestead to a sizeable acreage able to sustain many head of oxen, sheep, pigs and a considerable crop of corn.

My life of toil is rewarding and in my leisure I attend social gatherings including the early morning service at the Methodist Chapel. There I can be assured of encountering the delightful Rose Maybud. She is pretty, generous and by far the maiden most deserving of my attention in this village. However, she is quite particular about her suitors, and although I am eminently eligible, I still cannot bring myself to utter more than polite niceties in her prescence. Moreover, I am constantly reminded of my ineptitude by a bevy of bridesmaids who materialise at the merest whiff of a marriage proposal.

Worse still, my private moments are darkened by that circumstance to which few are privy. I talk of the curse placed by a vengeful witch upon the Baronets of Ruddigore. You know well, Dick, that I am in truth the successor to that hideous title and its doom. And how, twenty years ago, in the dead of the night's high noon, concealed by the cloak of a new moon, I fled the castle and the evil heritage to begin this new life as simple, honest Robin Oakapple. It still sickens me to recall how after the death of the reigning baronet Sir Roderic, my younger brother Sir Despard, believing me to me dead, assumed the title along with its ban compelling him to commit a crime each and every day of his life! Many lurid tales of him abound, by the way, and Mad Margaret is heard muttering about his sore treatment of her; presumably she is one of the wretched objects of his daily iniquity.

But enough of this melancholy! It is a fine spring day in Cornwall, and such weather can lift one's spirits. In fact, as I behold my rural seat, I feel my doubt and diffidence dissolving...perhaps today is the day... yes, I will do it! I'll go this very morning to Rose Maybud and ask for her hand! Oh thank you, Dick, putting my ponderings to paper has given me gumption. Would that some day soon I might show you my gratitude in person - may soon blow those breezes to bring your boat home!


Your faithful friend,

Robin

- alias Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd
- aka "Bad Baritone of Ruddigore", Grant Doyle

 Opera North's revival of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Ruddigore" is now performing at:

Grand and Opera House - Leeds September 30, October 1, 9, 14, 19, 27 Theatre Royal - Nottingham November 1 , 3
Theatre Royal - Newcastle-upon-Tyne November 8 , 10
Lowry, Quays - Salford November 15 , 17
Barbican - London November 23, 25, 26 (mat & eve)

Ruddigore rehearsals going full sail

The rehearsals for the revival of Opera North's "Ruddigore" by Gilbert and Sullivan are well underway! Starring Grant Doyle as Robin Oakapple/Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd in this charming Jo Davies production; it opens in Leeds on Friday. See the YouTube trailer below, featuring footage from last year's staging.

Moby Dick Broadcast on ABC Classic FM

The Pequod sails again!

Hear Jake Heggie’s magnificent MOBY DICK on ABC Classic FM, 7.05pm Sunday 11 Sept.

http://www.abc.net.au/classic/opera/stories/s3301924.htm

Overseas listeners, please try http://tunein.com/radio/ABC-Classic-FM-1059-s53416/
at around 10:00am Greenwich Mean Time on Sunday morning.

STATE OPERA OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Captain Ahab: Jay Hunter Morris, tenor

Starbuck: Grant Doyle, baritone

Greenhorn: James Egglestone, tenor

Queequeg: Jonathan Lemalu, bass-baritone

Stubb: Byron Watson, baritone

Flask: Adam Goodburn, tenor

Pip: Lorina Gore, soprano

Captain Gardiner: Douglas McNicol, baritone

Daggoo: Andrew Turner, baritone

Tashtego: Douglas McRae, baritone

State Opera Gentlemen's Chorus

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

Timothy Sexton, conductor

Moby Dick Reviews

Grant Doyle as Starbuck in "Moby Dick".

The fantastic Australian premiere of Jake Heggie's new opera "Moby Dick" starring Grant Doyle as Starbuck, had its 4-show season last week at the Adelaide Festival Theatre.

Reviews are available on grantdoyle.com's News Blog - click here

"Grant Doyle as first mate Starbuck, in every moment, every gesture, communicates the depths of longing that fuel his spirit."
(Ewart Shaw in The Advertiser, 29th August 2011) 

Press Reviews for Clemency

Reviews are coming in now for Clemency in the Linbury Theatre, read some of them by clicking on the links below...

Grant Doyle as Abraham, Photo by Stephen Cumminsky

"Grant Doyle led the cast as Abraham in a beautifully-judged piece of singing that brought authority without bombast to some of MacMillan's loveliest writing."

"Grant Doyle was a powerful vocal and stage presence, and breezed through the demands the music made of him."

"Doyle's Abraham is sympathetic and eloquent from his opening prayer to his futile imprecations."

Financial Times (by Adrian Clarke)

The Guardian (by Tim Ashley)

Daily Telegraph (by Rupert Christiansen)

New Statesman (by Alexandra Coghlan)

Independent (by Jessica Duchen)

www.classicalsource.com (by Peter Reed)

Observer (by Fiona Maddocks)

Independent on Sunday (by Anna Picard)

Clemency at the Royal Opera House

The world premiere of James MacMillan’s new one-act opera, Clemency takes place at The Royal Opera House tonight. Grant takes the lead role of Abraham alongside Janis Kelly as Sarah, with Andrew Tortise, Eamonn Mulhall and Adam Green completing the cast of this exciting new production directed by distinguished British theatre director, Katie Mitchell.

To see a promotional video of Clemency, including a sample of the music sung by Grant and Janis, click here.

Clemency - James MacMillan

James MacMillan

Rehearsals are well underway for "Clemency", a new commission by James Macmillan to be performed in the Linbury Studio Theatre, Covent Garden, directed by Katie Mitchell. This new opera is based on a story of Sarah and Abraham from Genesis, featuring Janis Kelly and Grant Doyle in the lead roles.

The world premiere in the Linbury Studio Theatre of James MacMillan’s new opera Clemency is a major event. Commissioned by ROH2, it comes after the success of MacMillan’s opera Parthenogenesis in 2009 and has been written in collaboration with the same librettist, Michael Symmons Roberts, and continues some of its themes. The opera draws on the biblical tale of Sarah and Abraham, who in old age are told that they are to have a new child. This compact interpretation of a familiar story introduces a contemporary twist to create the spiritual intensity and reflection for which MacMillan’s work is so well known. As with Parthenogenesis, the director is Katie Mitchell, renowned for the psychological acuity and innovative theatricality of her stagings. The Britten Sinfonia will again be the orchestra for MacMillan’s intense music in this new chamber opera of biblical and dramatic power.

Credits

Composer
James MacMillan

Director
Katie Mitchell

Libretto
Michael Symmons Roberts

Designer
Alex Eales

Costume Designer
John Bright

Lighting Designer
Jon Clark

Movement Director
Joseph Alford

Performers

Conductor
Clark Rundell

Sarah
Janis Kelly

Abraham
Grant Doyle

Triplets
Andrew Tortise
Eamonn Mulhall
Adam Green

For more information and tickets, please visit http://images.roh.org.uk/whatson/production.aspx?pid=15858

An ROH2 co-production with
Scottish Opera, Co-Commissioned by Scottish Opera, Britten Sinfonia and Boston Lyric Opera 

Fantastic Mr Fox - 2011

We are very pleased and excited to announce that the highly successful 2010 production of Fantastic Mr Fox will be returning to the Yucca Lawn, Holland Park in the summer of 2011.

Grant Doyle in Fantastic Mr Fox.

Grant will reprise his role as Mr Fox for some performances, working around his rehearsal commitments for Stanley Hall Opera's production of Eugene Onegin, for whom Grant is performing the title role as well.

Fantastic Mr Fox took a well-loved children's story and led children and young people into a whole new magical world of performance art - watch a video from last years production.


Information on production dates and times will be announced very soon, so watch this space!

Jake Heggie's "Moby Dick" - Adelaide

Production and casting information has now been released for the exciting revival of Jake Heggie's "Moby Dick", which premiered last year at the Dallas Opera with Ben Heppner in the title role. The opera has been co-commissioned by the State Opera of South Australia in Adelaide (Grant's home city) and the production promises to be a most significant arts event in Australia for 2011.

Grant return to Adelaide after last year's successful step-in as Zurga in The Pearl Fishers to sing the role of Starbuck, first mate to Captain Ahab on the "Pequod" and a devout Quaker from Nantucket.

MOBY DICK - Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer

Venue:
Festival Theatre

Dates and Times:
27, 30 August, 1, 3 September 7.30pm

Cast Information:
Conductor: Timothy Sexton

Director: Leonard Foglia
Set Designer: Robert Brill
Costume Designer: Jane Greenwood
Lighting Designer: Donald Holder
Projection Designer: Elaine McCarthy

Captain Ahab: Jay Hunter Morris 
Starbuck: Grant Doyle
Greenhorn: James Egglestone
Queequeg: Jonathan Lemalu
Stubb: David Thelander
Flask: Adam Goodburn
Pip: Lorina Gore
Captain Gardiner: Douglas McNicol
Daggoo: Andrew Turner
Tashtego: Douglas McRae

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
State Opera Gentlemen’s Chorus

Language:
Sung in English.

Running Time:
Approximately three hours including one twenty-five minute interval.

Anna Nicole - Royal Opera

Anna Nicole opened on Thursday night to a tumultuous reception. Alongside conductor Antonio Pappano, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Alan Oke, Gerald Finley and Susan Bickley, Grant plays Billy, Anna Nicole's first husband.

Further performances are scheduled for 21st (tonight), 23rd, 26th of February and the 1st and 4th of March. Photos will be posted when available. For more information, see the Royal Opera site at:

http://www.roh.org.uk/whatson/production.aspx?pid=13802

Ludd & Isis

Grant is proud to be involved with the Royal Opera's "Ludd & Isis", currently performing at the new Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop in Purfleet, Essex. The project, a new opera by Stephen Plaice and Richard Taylor, involves professional directors, conductors, singers, musicians and dancers alongside nearly 1,000 residents from Thurrock. Grant sings two main roles, Captain Manyships in the farcical scene in "High House" (pictured left), and the jilted sailor fiance Harry, in "Royal Hotel".

Pearl Fishers Opens in Adelaide

Bizet's Pearl Fishers opened in Adelaide last Saturday at the Festival Theatre. Grant sings the role of Zurga with Leanne Kenneally as Leila, James Egglestone as Nadir and Pelham Andrews as Nourabad, conducted by fellow South Australian Luke Dollman.

Their performance has been hailed as a success by the critics, you can read the reviews here.

http://grantdoylereviews.blogspot.com/

The Pearl Fishers - SOSA

Grant is going to take over the role of Zurga in State Opera of South Australia's forthcoming production of Bizet's Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers) at the Festival Theatre, Adelaide, South Australia.

Performances 11, 14, 16, 18 September

Conductor: Luke Dollman
Original Director: Ann-Margret Pettersson
Rehearsed By: Luise Napier
Scenery: John Conklin
Costume Designer: Clare Mitchell
Lighting Designer: Nigel Levings
Choreographer: Rosetta Cook

Leila: Leanne Kenneally
Zurga: Grant Doyle
Nadir: James Egglestone
Nourabad: Pelham Andrews

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra

State Opera Chorus

Sung in French with English surtitles
This production is presented by arrangement with Opera Australia

Garsington Le nozze di Figaro

The season of Le nozze di Figaro with Grant singing the role of Count Almaviva has opened at Garsington Opera, in Garsington Manor in Oxfordshire.

John Cox's 2005 production, perfectly suited to the outdoor garden venue, is conducted by Douglas Boyd and the cast includes Sophie Bevan as Susanna, James Oldfield as Figaro, Kishani Jayasinghe as the Countess, Anna Grevalius as Cherubino with Jean Rigby, Conal Coad and Dan Norman as Marcellina, Bartolo and Basilio.

The show is already sold out and has been hailed a success. Reviews have mentioned Grant's "rich-toned" and "attractive" Count and that he "shades (the character) with dark virility".

For more information about Garsington click here.

To read more of Grant's reviews click here.

Fantastic Mr Fox

Opera Holland Park are staging Tobias Picker's opera of the story by Roald Dahl - starring Grant Doyle in the title role.

OHP are proud to present this magical opera for families using the atmospheric Yucca lawn of Holland Park as a natural scenic backdrop. This may be considered the rural 'fringe' of the main season!

With nine performances featuring Opera Holland Park singers and members of the City of London Sinfonia, this will be a wonderful way to introduce children of all ages to opera, using a source material that many of them will know and love. With glorious melodies framing the story of the wily Mr Fox and his bid to outwit his farmer neighbours this is an enchanting hour of entertainment for audiences of all ages.

For more information click here.

Moby-Dick by Jake Heggie

We are pleased to announce that Grant has been engaged to sing the role of Starbuck in Jake Heggie's new opera "Moby-Dick" to be staged by the State Opera of South Australia in Adelaide in September 2011.

Information on this co-production with Dallas opera is available here.

Ruddigore Audience Reaction

Opera North's Ruddigore opens in Leeds

Ruddigore has now opened its performance season in Leeds, starring Grant Doyle as good honest Robin Oakapple, who becomes the bad baronet of Ruddigore, Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd.

The opening night was extremely well received and the reviews have been outstanding - Ruddigore is a hit!

Hugh Canning's Times Online Review

Anna Picard's Independent on Sunday Review

Rupert Chistiansen's Daily Telegraph Review

Tim Ashley gives Ruddigore 5 stars in the Guardian


For more about Ruddigore and archives of Grant's press reviews, visit his press blog at:
http://grantdoylereviews.blogspot.com/

Ruddigore - Opera North

Grant is to play Robin Oakapple in the new Opera North production of Gilbert & Sullivan's "Ruddigore". Rehearsals have begun on the show, directed by Jo Davies and conducted by John Wilson with a cast including Amy Freston, Heather Shipp, Anne Marie Owens, Hal Cazalet, Richard Burkhard, Stephen Page and Richard Angas.

Ruddigore opens at the Grand Theatre in Leeds on the 30th January 2010.

For information and tickets go to Opera North website here.

Review for Werther - Opera North

Grant performed the role of Albert in Massenet's "Werther" at the Lowry Theatre in Salford Quays. The performance was reviewed positively by Lynne Walker in the Independent.

Read the review here...

Photos from Opera Holland Park La Boheme

Thanks to photographer Fritz Curzon and Opera Holland Park, here are a few more production photographs from the recent production of La Boheme, with Grant as Marcello.

Above is a shot from Act IV with fellow Australia Aldo di Toro as Rodolfo, and below is Grant with Aldo and Tim Mirfin as Colline.

La Boheme - Opera Holland Park

There have been many favourable reviews for Elaine Kidd's production of La Boheme at Opera Holland Park with Grant as Marcello (pictured). Click on the links below to read.

Independent on Sunday

Oxford Times

Musical Criticism

The Stage

Eternity Mans wins Rose d'Or

THE ETERNITY MAN, directed by Julien Temple and starring Grant as Arthur Stace, has won the prestigious international Rose d’Or Award for Best Performing Arts program.

The Rose d’Or Awards, held annually in Lucerne, Switzerland, honour originality, quality and creativity in entertainment programming, and encourage excellence in television and new media. The film is based on an opera by Jonathan Mills and a libretto by Dorothy Porter.

THE ETERNITY MAN was the only Australian nominee in the Rose d’Or Awards and, in the Best Performing Arts category, was up against five other nominees including BBC Four Sessions: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and La Traviata at Zurich Main Station.

Eternity Man DVD

The Eternity Man movie is now available on DVD, for Australian region 4 only at this stage. We will keep updates posted here for the distribution in the UK when it's available. The DVD is being distrubuted through Madman, the link is below. You can also get Eternity Man from the ABC shops.

http://www.madman.com.au/actions/catalogue.do?method=view&releaseId=11474

Paradise Moscow Review

Grant is reviewed positively in the Guardian today for his appearance as Sasha in Shostakovich' "Paradise Moscow" with Opera North. Please click the link below...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/apr/21/paradise-moscow-review

Paradise Moscow - Opera North

Grant plays the role of "Sascha" in David Pountney's production for Opera North. The season opens this Saturday, the 18th of April. Performance dates below...

Opera North Website

The Grand Theatre
Leeds
7.15pm
18th, 20th, 29th Apr
1st & 19th May 2009

The Lowry
Salford Quays
7.15pm
Thu 4th Jun 2009

Theatre Royal
Newcastle
7.15pm,
Thu 11th Jun 2009

Theatre Royal
Nottingham
7.15pm,
Thu 18th Jun 2009

The Grand Theatre
Leeds
7.15pm,
Fri 26th Jun 2009

Prices £10.00 - £58.00

Click the play button above to see the trailer.

Eternity Man - The Australian

Another nice review in the Australian for "The Eternity Man" in preparation for the ABC screening on Sunday.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24908030-5015662,00.html

Eternity Man - Sydney Morning Herald

The Eternity Man is receiving excellent coverage for its ABC screening including an fine cover story article in the Sydney Morning Herald TV Guide. (January 12th 2009)

To read the article on the SMH website, please click here.

Eternity Man - UK Barbican Screening

"The Eternity Man" starring Grant Doyle as Arthur Stace will have its UK cinematic premiere on January the 29th at 7pm at the Barbican Cinema in London. 

Please go to http://www.barbican.org.uk/film/event-detail.asp?ID=8396 for details and tickets. 

Hope to see you there!

Eternity Man - C4 screening UK

We're delighted to let you know that Channel 4 will be screening The Eternity Man on the evening of Monday December 29 at 11:10pm.

The Australian showing on ABC-TV will take place on January 18th at 9:45pm.

Eternity Man

After a very successful premiere at the Sydney Film Festival http://www.sydneyfilmfestival.org/film_details.asp?id=71&fID=438&sID=1 "The Eternity Man", Julien Temple's Opera/Doco/Biopic of the life of Arthur Stace, starring Grant Doyle as Arthur, has had appearances at the Melbourne International Festival http://www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au/films?y=2008&filmsrch=&film_id=10815&pg=77 and Locarno Festival http://www.filmfestivallocarno.ch. Plans are currently underway for a UK premiere, but no details as yet. Please watch this space for a screen date and also for details on a Channel 4 screening later this year.

Back in London

I'm back in London now after a great run as the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro with the State Opera of South Australia. It was fantastic fun to work with old friends again and to perform in the popular Neil Armfield production with an enthusiastic and intelligent cast. Thanks to everyone who came to the Adelaide Festival Theatre to support us and I hope you all enjoyed the opera as much as we did.

Cheers
Grant

Opera North 2009

Good news that Grant will appear with Opera North next April/May/June (2009) as "Sascha" in the revival of "Paradise Moscow". Shostakovich's Cheryomushki, renamed Paradise Moscow, is a fast-paced, light-hearted musical that sends the audience out into the street humming a rousing chorus of "Cheryomushki!" For more information go to www.operanorth.co.uk