Intimate (and cheap): opera tickets on a budget this winter in London

As the air gets chillier and the skies grow darker, what better way to spend an evening than curled up in the pub with a good...opera?
That’s right. Gone are the days when this romantic art form was confined to the four walls of the opera house. A swarm of talented companies in the capital is serving passionate Puccini and voluptuous Verdi in the most intimate and accessible venues. So if you fancy a night at the opera without breaking the bank, then here are our top picks from London’s alternative opera scene.

The Marriage of Figaro, OperaUpClose, Until 8th November, The Kings Head Pub Theatre, Islington, £10-£25

This fringe company moved into Islington’s King's Head pub in 2010, and has since been squeezing pint-sized versions of classic operas into its cosy theatre. Little wonder the venue has swiftly become known as ‘London’s Little Opera House’.
Comic timing is paramount in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. This production delivers, scaled down for six voices, piano, viola and clarinet, and directed by Sarah Tipple (who revived Madam Butterfly with ENO last year). 'The singing and playing is of such a high standard that one forgets it’s all done on a shoestring,' said Michael Church in The Independent. Indeed. And you can take that glass of Merlot in with you.

Elixir of Love, OperaUpClose, 2-13 December, The Kings Head Pub Theatre, Islington, £10-£25

OperaUpClose recently announced plans to leave its home at The King’s Head in Islington. While the company will continue producing opera in a variety of other London venues, the move spells the end of shuffling into this sticky pub for an evening of emotionally-charged music.
To commemorate five fruitful years at the venue, OperaUpClose is staging short revivals of three of its most popular productions. First, director Valentina Ceschi brings back her colourful, heady rendition of Donizetti’s Elixir of Love, which transports audiences to sunny Hollywood. Cocktails are brewing and hot starlet Adina is batting off Nemorino’s advances, accompanied by an unconventional trio of alto saxophone, violin and piano. 'A little gem', reported Rupert Christiansen in The Telegraph.

La Bohème, OperaUpClose, 16th December - 3 January, The Kings Head Pub Theatre, Islington, £10-£25

Next up is La Bohème, Puccini’s exquisite tragedy which secured OperaUpClose its reputation on London’s opera scene in 2009 ('Madly brilliant... an updated, zingy translation... a fresh rediscovery,' said The Times) and has been revived countless times since. Set in present day Soho, the opera follows the turbulent relationship of impoverished writer Rodolfo and his immigrant cleaner girlfriend Mimi with the score trickling out of a grand piano. The opera might be shrunk to fit the confines of this tiny theatre, and there’s no doubt some musical depth is lost in the process. But the intimacy, and hence emotions, are magnified.

The Barber of Seville, OperaUpClose, 6th -17th January, The Kings Head Pub Theatre, Islington, £10-£25

Closing the figurative curtain on OperaUpClose’s stint at The Kings Head is Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, whose story is transferred to the genteel England of Jane Austen and men in billowing blouses. 'Norton-Hale's translation skids between centuries, raising a metaphorical little finger one moment, and its middle finger the next,' said Anna Picard in The Independent. Rosina appears to be based on Lydia Bennet, while the Marquis of Bath is a combination of Mr Wickham and Mr Darcy. A little imagination is required to believe the storyline in its new setting, but there’s fun to be had, provided you don’t take your Rossini too seriously.

SING, Shadwell Opera, Hampstead, 6th November, 14th November & 4th December, Rosslyn Hill Chapel, £10 (students £8)

Shadwell Opera started life as a group of four Cambridge undergraduates, keen to put opera on young audiences’ radar and stage intimate and affordable productions. Before they knew it, they’d been awarded the RBS Herald Angel Award and a five-star review in The Scotsman.
Under the direction of now-professional director Jack Furness, Shadwell Opera has received consistent critical acclaim. SING is a series of concerts that explores the best of art-song (that is, voice with piano). Eight up-and-coming young singers will warble their way through the likes of Schubert, Debussy and Ravel, in the echoey surrounds of North London’s Rosslyn Hill Chapel.

Falstaff, Fulham Opera, 7th - 16th November, St John’s Church, Fulham, £25 (£20 conc.)

Earlier this year, London’s tiniest professional opera company staged opera’s biggest oeuvre: Wagner’s Ring Cycle. It was a mammoth undertaking. Purists squirmed in their seats, but Fulham Opera’s valiant efforts - and musical ability - were applauded. This winter, director Zoe South has opted for Verdi’s Falstaff, whose farcical plot follows a fat knight as he attempts to seduce two married women. The opera (sung in English, with a 10-piece orchestra) is translated to the present day, with bass-baritone Keel Watson in the title role - he made his Royal Opera House debut in 2000 and has also sung with English Touring Opera and Opera Holland Park. If you don’t believe opera can be funny, try Falstaff for size.

Albert Herring, Hampstead Garden Opera, 14th - 22nd November, Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate Village, £23

This 24-year-old company has resided at The Gatehouse pub theatre since 2001, and handles opera with the utmost care and affection. Devoted to providing platforms for up-and-coming singers, HGO’s productions are small but perfectly formed, drawing new audiences into the action without compromising on quality. Benjamin Britten’s three-act chamber opera, Albert Herring, is a fitting choice.
No British stereotype is left uncovered in this village comedy, in which a committee must choose a May Queen from a line up of wicked girls. Director Joe Austin proved to be a skillful storyteller with HGO’s previous show in April (Cavalli’s La Calisto, described in Opera Magazine as 'inventive and pacy'), and brushed up on his Britten while assisting David Alden with his stunning Peter Grimes revival for ENO. You’ll be in safe hands here.

Platee, Early Opera Company, 20th November, St John’s Smith Square, Westminster, from £15

A strong believer in exposing the raciness of early music and making it relevant for modern listeners, Christian Curnyn is the favourite of the big houses when it comes to baroque opera. He conducted ENO’s production of Handel’s Rodelinda - 'Curnyn's approach is brisk and buoyant' praised Fiona Maddocks in The Observer - and was at the helm of the notorious, sexually-charged production of Rameau’s Platée at Stuttgart Opera in 2012 (the show opened with Curnyn on stage canoodling with one of the characters, before he made his way to the podium). The conductor founded the Early Opera Company in 1994, and is staging a concert performance of Rameau’s Platée at St John’s Smith Square, to mark the first of many collaborations with the historical venue. The stellar cast, which includes Royal College of Music graduate Thomas Walker, will sing through this French comic opera for one night only.

Dido and Aeneas, Opera In Space, 19th (8pm) and 20th (2.30pm and 7.30pm) December 2014, Kings Place, 90 York Way, £19.50

'The whole thing was performed with a big, positive zing', said Robert Thicknesse in Opera Now, of the first performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas from graduate-led Opera In Space. The immersive debut production was performed in Peckham’s Bussey Building, where the audience was guided by the singers across three floors. Directed by Richard Pyros, the sell-out production is being revived at Kings Place in North London. The venue is rather less gritty than the Bussey Building, for sure, but you’ll still need your wits about you as the performance starts in the foyer, before moving into a concert hall. Listen out for snatches of jazz and electronic soundscapes, as well as Dido’s bitterly sad lament, When I am laid in earth. This 70-minute experience will not be Purcell’s tragedy as you have seen or heard it before.