The Elixir of Love July 2014 | Page 18

IN CONVERSATION
With the Designer

Before rehearsals began we sat down with Designer, Tom Paris, to talk about The Elixir of Love

Welcome back to Winterbourne Opera!
It’s always exciting to come back to Winterbourne Opera! Each year we have put a new spin on
each piece we have tackled. In many ways Elixir couldn’t be more of an opposite to last years
contemporary edgy Carmen, or the Trump tower inspired 1980s office environment of Figaro.
Hopefully it will be just as exciting.

What drew you and the director to a holiday camp setting?
Well Holiday camps were such a huge phenomenon. Holiday makers and staff would come from
all over the country and mix together, so there are loads of wonderful characters for us to draw
from. There was also such a broad range of ages from young families to retired couples so they
were a real melting pot of society.

And why the 1960s?
The early 60s are such an exciting visual era. In fashion there were still a lot of the full skirted
silhouettes of the 50s that began to mix with the more streamlined Mod attire that was
emerging from London. Really for the first time mothers and daughters started dressing
differently and clothing became more of a statement.

So we can expect a larger than life “Carry on Opera”?
You certainly can! The Holiday Camp setting is incredibly rich. Right from the start we were
looking for a location that would naturally allow for a lot of
visual comedy. The Carry-On Films have been a massive
resource as well as a lot of 60s sit-coms, magazines and of
course Hi-Di-Hi! They are all wonderfully camp
and silly in a uniquely British way.

Photographs by Ash Mills © 2014

The Marriage of Figaro 2012