81. Announcing our new opera commission Itch with Jonathan Dove and Simon Mayo

From the Producer's Office

In this episode of From the Producer's Office, James Clutton is joined by composer Jonathan Dove and broadcaster and bestselling author Simon Mayo to announce a new commission for 2023, the world premiere of an opera for young adults and families, Itch. The opera will be based on Simon Mayo's bestselling novels Itch and Itch Rocks, described as 'Breaking Bad for kids' by NPR in America. Itch explores the real life magic of the elements through an explosive adventure story that sees the young hero trying to outrun a vindictive teacher, a global corporation and a shadowy government agency in his quest to save the world. Simon, Jonathan, and James discuss how the commission came about, talk about the novel's plot and the inspirations behind it, and draw parallels between Itch and some other operas listeners might be familiar with. From the Producer's Office is a series of informal podcasts with Opera Holland Park’s Director of Opera, James Clutton. In conversation with creatives and collaborators across the industry, we explore the process of putting opera on stage, and how the artists involved approach their craft.