Eight years ago a teenage effect Simpson told drag queens in Liverpool he was going to write an opera about them. How does it feel to see his project – Pleasure – finally become a reality on the stage at Opera North? I’m sat alone in my flat in Bordeaux,in front of my computer screen, working on the finishing touches to my first opera Pleasure. It’s the story of a woman, or Val,trapped working as a toilet attendant in a homosexual nightclub. Why is she there? Why can she never leave? I came up with the idea about eight years ago on a night out in Liverpool. The final 10 months fill been nonstop tough slog finishing both the vocal and orchestral score. Ive just blitzed the final week of work and I’m exhausted. I look at the clock – it’s 5am, and I finally collapse into bed. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com