Rebecca Meltzer. Photo by Sally Jubb, additional design by NZ Opera
Kia ora koutou and nau mai haere mai to another instalment of Stage Notes – taking you deeper behind the scenes of our 2025 season of Mansfield Park.
With the long-awaited South Island premiere of this modern chamber opera classic now only one week away, the excitement is building just as much on our end as it is for all of you!
As you’re no doubt aware, one of the most special aspects of this year’s Mansfield Park is that it will see almost the entire cast behind our 2024 production returning to their roles – with the notable exceptions of Michaela Cadwgan, who played Julia Bertram in 2024 and now returns as lead character Fanny Price, and Cecilia Zhang, our ‘new’ Julia.
Another notable name returning for this season is our director, the enormously talented Rebecca Meltzer. An experienced practitioner in a range of theatrical and artistic forms, Rebecca is a founder of the esteemed Waterperry Opera Festival and has directed productions of Mansfield Park for a number of different companies.
And so with the NZ Opera Studio bursting with life and song as our cast, creatives and crew make final preparations for this sure-to-be-unforgettable season, we managed to steal a few moments of her time, to ask what’s led her to this point – and why she’s so excited to be back..
“I can’t wait to get stuck in“
NZO: Your resume as an arts practitioner is a very wide-ranging one – what was it that drew you to opera as a specialisation? Was this a path you always wanted to pursue, or one you found in the course of a broader practice?
RM: I was fortunate to have a musical upbringing as my mother taught piano and singing. Dance was also a big part of my life growing up. I always wanted to be a professional ballerina, but sadly that was only ever a pipe dream. After studying music at university and getting involved in student opera productions, I discovered that opera was a space in which all my artistic passions seemed to coalesce. I entered the industry expecting to have to reroute my career at some point, but now 10 years on and somehow, I’m still here, doing what I love and feeling incredibly grateful for it.
You’re especially well known for your work with Waterperry Opera Festival – could you explain that festival, and how it came about?
As with many successful endeavours, Waterperry was the product of several like-minded individuals being in the right place at the right time, and running with a, somewhat overly ambitious, idea. We were young and very naive, but over the past seven years have really learnt what it takes to create and sustain a successful arts festival.
WOF runs for two weeks in mid-August and showcases the rising stars of the UK opera scene. We put on six contrasting productions over two weeks and cater for a wide range of audiences. Our intention was to build a festival that did things a little differently, utilizing the unusual performance spaces on the Waterperry estate, bringing in young talent, and opening up the artform of opera to new audiences.
In one of this work’s multiple televisual adaptations, Frances O’Connor played the role of Fanny Price
You have quite a history with this piece in particular, but I’m interested to know in your history with Austen in general. Was she an important author for you personally growing up? And how do you approach directing work which already has such a large cultural footprint?
Austen is, and has always been, a very important figure in my life. I grew up with the books and the many film and TV adaptations, and naturally found a resonance in her strong female characters. The regency world also held great fascination for me; the social rituals, dancing, clothing, and particularly the art of writing a good letter (somewhat of a theme in Mansfield Park).
Dove’s Mansfield Park is a wonderful expression of all these things, so beautiful expressed in succinct musical language of the piece. It somehow feels fresh and relatable to a 21st Century audience yet honours the nuances and detail of Austen’s world. It has a natural theatricality which makes it particularly easy to bring to life.
Having directed our 2024 season of Mansfield Park, here you’re returning with a largely unchanged cast and creative team. What are you excited to find in this season? And how do you expect to build on the foundations laid last year?
The beauty of a revival is that you know exactly where your destination is, rather than having to work it out as you go. Having the foundations laid and the walls in place, you can really hone the detail of the performances. This cast are so talented and well suited to their characters.
I can’t wait to get stuck in.
