Review – Destination: Old Hag – Alma Tavern Theatre

A clever show that’s both entertaining and breaks down barriers to opera as an art form

Destination: Old Hag, sees the ‘Ladies of the Chorus’ getting ready at the half-hour call, for a performance of Verdi’s Macbetto.

It’s written and performed by Bridget Hardy, Penny Rossano and Samantha Houston. They are three friends and opera performers who came together to create a show about opera chorus backstage life. They describe it as a Sit-Op-Com or ‘Situation Operatic Comedy’. It’s certainly a unique format and one that works wonderfully well.

We have short bursts of opera beautifully performed at appropriate points. The narrative builds towards a final performance of Che Faceste? Dite Su! and Scena e Duetto from Macbetto Act 1 Ladies Chorus. It’s a lovely moment with the added fun of the backstage comments about cheap caldrons, dodgy choreography and direction coming to life on stage.

In the build up to the on-stage scene, we have the general pitter-patter of preparing to go on stage in a small-scale production. It’s so small, the theatre only has one toilet backstage. It flushes regularly, adding to the claustrophobia of the dressing room.

The story is told through the lens of typical, everyday middle-aged women. It demystifies the creative world, making it relatable to everyone.

One singer who also works in a school music department, remains calm through the frustration of a school mum phoning up with spurious reasons not to pay for singing lessons. There’s school choir issues, including a rather rude take on Panis Angelicus.

Another summons every last bit of patience to deal with a strategic incompetence phone call about which drawer children’s pajamas are stored, moments before going on stage.

Whilst they apply stage make-up and fiddle with fake noses, they reminisce about productions they have been in, from the avant garde to wardrobe malfunctions in Carmen.

There are other off-stage characters, rounding out the backstage experience. This includes the periodic Stage Manager calls, with mic failures providing additional colour to an ongoing codpiece crisis.

Destination: Old Hag, breaks down any notion of backstage glamour as it opens up the world of the professional opera chorus.

It’s a significant job and very often a faceless one. Opera companies – particularly companies like the WNO, are famed for their Chorus. But, we see little acknowledgement of its performance in touring productions. In press releases, chorus members are often unnamed, blending into the background of the stage. If they do make it into press coverage, it’s in picture captions as ‘the other’. A failure to supply the names of all performers is often a bugbear for theatre journalists as well as the performers involved.

It’s a shame, as there’s nothing like a bit of background people-watching in ensembles and choruses while the action is being being played towards the front of the stage.

Alongside the manky Carmen moustache popping out like a surprise spider, the familiar predictability of opening night cake and dry and tasteless press night food, there is also reflection on mid-career stagnation.

It’s even less easy in a world of audition circuits where women are judged for being too old, too young, too round, too Brown. And what do you even sing at the auditions anymore? Is the silence of rejection any better than the long-awaited phone call resulting in disappointment?

Destination: Old Hag is a really enjoyable piece of theatre. It has an authentic voice and three very entertaining and naturalistic performances. You don’t have to love opera to enjoy the piece. Often there’s an assumption with opera that it’s a high-brow activity it can be, but it doesn’t have to be. And it shouldn’t be. This clever show breaks barriers between opera and the audience showing that those on stage are just the same as the rest of us.

For more information about Uncredited Presents, visit: https://uncreditedpresents.co.uk

For more on Destination: Old Hag, visit: https://www.instagram.com/destinationoldhag

Cast and Creatives
Written and performed by – Bridget Hardy, Penny Rossano and Samantha Houston
Mark and Voice 2 – Gwion Thomas
Pianists – Ralph Woodward and Bridget Hardy
Voices – Des (1), Ralph (3) and Stuart (4)
Illustrations – Penny Rossano
Photography – Dilpesh Patel and Lesia Dubeniyk

More Bristol News from Chopsy Bristol
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChopsyBristol
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chopsybaby
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chopsybristol.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chopsybristol/
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@chopsybristoltt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chopsybristol