CAPE TOWN OPERA (CTO) will present The Cunning Little Vixen at the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone on 21 July for a limited season. Aimed at families, school learners and first-time opera-goers, this quirky and fun production blends engaging storytelling, physical theatre, striking animal costumes and imaginative visuals to offer an accessible and memorable introduction to the magic of opera.
Excitement is high as this is the operatic directorial debut of Fiona du Plooy, whose work as movement director has contributed to acclaimed productions like Tosca, Suor Angelica and Le nozze di Figaro. We caught up with her to find out how she’s feeling about this.
“It’s very exciting to debut such a challenging work in a genre that is new to me from a directorial point of view,” she says. “My only other directing experience was a self-conceptualised cabaret in 2016 at the Alexander Bar, the Kalk Bay Theatre, and at the National Arts Festival and the KKNK — Angels on Horseback, with a cast of four plus musicians. Otherwise my work with Cape Town Opera has been primarily as a movement director and choreographer.
“This production is on a different level altogether, with a sizeable cast of singers and children, and a stunning score,” she continues. “I am so loving the time on the floor when it all comes together, plus the artistic brainstorming and camaraderie that lives in these rehearsal processes is a real boost.”
It’s never too early — or too late — to cultivate an interest and love for opera; The Cunning Little Vixen is the perfect opportunity for that. “It brings the life story of a clever vixen (Cape Town Theatre Award winner Siphamandla Moyake) to fruition,” explains Du Plooy. “Characters like an arrogant Rooster, a Dog whose love of music keeps the Fox from being lonely and a bullying Badger are familiar characters in this tale about the cycle of life and our connection to nature.”
This adaption by CTO’s resident librettist Alan Olejniczak is focused on a redacted viewpoint and gives us a happier ending than the original…more of a celebration of life and love, says Du Plooy. “While English aids with the accessibility of hearing and understanding the songs, we aim to ensure that the story is told simultaneously through the body and intention.”
Cape Town Opera’s Vocal Ensemble and Judith Neilson Young Artists will bring the vibrant forest setting to life, led by guest artist Moyake as Sharp Ears (the Vixen), Nica Reinke as Gold Stripe (the Fox), Thandolwethu Longo as the Owl, Mandisinde Mbuyazwe as the Poacher and Dumisa Masoka as the Hen. Audiences can also look forward to performances by CTO House Soloists Nonhlanhla Yende and Conroy Scott, who recently starred in Cape Town Opera’s acclaimed Carmen, as the Forester and the Forester’s Wife. Joining them are members of the Cape Town Opera Children’s Chorus as dragonflies, fox cubs, crickets, hedgehogs and frogs, bringing additional colour and delight to this woodland adventure.
A cast of strong professionals, young talent, children and even ballet dancers, requires a specific approach to directing across the different groups and combining them into a cohesive unit. “The idea is collaboration, collaboration, collaboration,” says Du Plooy. “We have cultivated a playful and imaginative space for ideas to germinate in an imaginative space. I am unbelievably blessed with a strong team in Tara Notcutt (associate director), Cleo Notcutt-Wiliams (choreography), and of course CTO’s Jan Hugo (musical director), Nathan Lewis (pianist and répétiteur), Antoinette Huyssen (chorus master) and of course Magdalene Minnaar (CTO artistic director). Everyone in this production, in whichever capacity, plays to their strengths as we create this story together and bring the show to life.”
While this is a new chapter for Du Plooy, her career has always been multifaceted and varied. “I have spent several years as a movement teacher for actors and then working with small productions as choreographer/movement director in meaningful collaborations with directors such as Lara Bye, Nicola Hanekom and the late Peter Hayes, as well as choreographing on film sets, while building up a successful Pilates studio in Constantia over the past 20 years.
“I met Magdalene while creating Land van Skedels for the KKNK for Nicola Hanekom. That fortuitous encounter has led to an ongoing collaboration at Cape Town Opera as a movement director. Several years into that collab, I did have an inkling that directing was possibly the next logical and obvious step, and here we are.
“To all that, The Cunning Little Vixen feels like a show that enables me to use every element of my skillset.”
With memorable characters and universal themes, this is a theatrically thrilling experience for children and adults alike, serving as a welcoming gateway to opera for a new generation of theatre-goers.
