Executive Overview
Oxford is preparing for a major cultural highlight as the Oxford Opera Company (OOC) announces its eagerly awaited return to the Oxford Playhouse on October 9 and 10, 2026. Following the resounding success of their previous staging of Puccini’s Tosca—which starred renowned talents Marlena Devoe, Sam Furness, and Philip Rhodes—the company is once again set to captivate local audiences with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s comic masterpiece, The Marriage of Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro).
At the helm of this upcoming production are visionary director Katie Blackwell and esteemed conductor John Warner, a creative partnership that promises to bring fresh vitality, theatrical depth, and musical rigor to Mozart’s brilliant score. Founded in 2017 by artistic visionary Stuart Pendred, the Oxford Opera Company holds a unique and vital place in the region’s cultural ecosystem. As Oxford’s first-ever fully professional opera company, OOC has steadily carved out a reputation for artistic excellence since its inaugural production of Tosca in 2018, bridging the gap between world-class operatic performance and deep community engagement.
Beyond the main-stage glamour of the Oxford Playhouse, this production underscores the company’s broader mission: a steadfast commitment to nurturing the next generation of creative talent and providing inclusive educational outreach. The 2026 production of The Marriage of Figaro will be sung in English—utilizing a witty and accessible new translation by George Robarts—and will feature a stellar cast of rising operatic stars, including Hugo Herman-Wilson and Rachel Spiers as the titular servants Figaro and Susanna, alongside Jack Holton and Nikolett Mraz as the aristocratic Count and Countess Almaviva. Crucially, the production will also integrate members of Oxford Opera’s newly established Youth Company, offering young performers a rare and transformative opportunity to share the stage with seasoned professionals.
Detailed Chronology: The Journey to The Marriage of Figaro
The Genesis of Oxford’s Premier Opera Company (2017–2018)
The story of the Oxford Opera Company is one of ambition, cultural necessity, and grassroots determination. Prior to 2017, despite its global reputation as a powerhouse of academic and literary excellence, the city of Oxford lacked a dedicated, fully professional opera company capable of mounting large-scale lyric theatre productions on a regular basis.
Recognizing this gap in the local arts landscape, founder Stuart Pendred established OOC in 2017 with a clear, dual mandate: to bring top-tier, UK-based professional artists to Oxford stages, and to democratize opera by embedding the art form deeply within the local community. The company made its triumphant debut in 2018 with a critically acclaimed staging of Puccini’s Tosca. That inaugural production set a high watermark for performance standards, proving conclusively that Oxford audiences were eager for a vibrant, professional operatic home.
Building Momentum: From Tosca to Mozart
In the years following its launch, OOC navigated the logistical challenges facing the wider classical music industry, mounting near-annual productions that steadily built a loyal following. The partnership between director Katie Blackwell and conductor John Warner has proven to be a cornerstone of this artistic evolution. Following their triumph with Tosca, the creative team spent months conceptualizing a follow-up that would offer a stylistic contrast to Puccini’s soaring, tragic verismo, ultimately settling on Mozart’s timeless social satire, The Marriage of Figaro.
Based on Pierre Beaumarchais’s revolutionary and scandalous play, The Marriage of Figaro deals with class dynamics, infidelity, forgiveness, and the timeless follies of the human heart. By pairing Mozart’s sublime, mathematically precise orchestrations and sublime vocal writing with a modern, English-language translation, Blackwell and Warner aim to strip away the dust often associated with classical opera, presenting a production that feels immediate, razor-sharp, and laugh-out-loud funny.
The 2026 Production Timeline and Milestones
- Spring 2024–2025: Conceptual design phase, casting workshops, and the expansion of the OOC Youth Company framework to prepare local participants for integration into main-stage rehearsals.
- Summer 2025: Launch of the Mozart’s Magical Music five-day summer camp, introducing children aged 8 to 14 to the foundational themes and melodies of the composer’s work.
- Autumn 2025: Finalization of the principal cast, featuring Hugo Herman-Wilson, Rachel Spiers, Jack Holton, and Nikolett Mraz.
- Spring 2026: Orchestral rehearsals begin under the direction of John Warner, working alongside translator George Robarts to polish the English text.
- October 9–10, 2026: Official opening and subsequent performances of The Marriage of Figaro at the Oxford Playhouse, culminating in a dedicated Family Matinee.
Supporting Context & Metrics: Education, Community, and Cast
Cultivating Young Talent: The OOC Educational Mandate
What separates the Oxford Opera Company from traditional touring houses is its deep-rooted philosophy that professional performance must go hand-in-hand with community education. OOC’s outreach workshops are designed to be entirely inclusive, open to any and all residents throughout Oxfordshire, regardless of socioeconomic background or prior musical experience.
The company’s educational infrastructure has expanded significantly with the formation of the OOC Youth Company. Operating every Saturday during term time, the Youth Company is structured into two distinct age cohorts:
- Ages 8 to 12: Focused on foundational vocal development, theatrical games, and storytelling through song.
- Ages 13 to 16: Focused on advanced ensemble work, dramatic interpretation, and direct mentorship from working theatre professionals.
Furthermore, the company’s seasonal programs—such as the popular Mozart’s Magical Music summer camp—ensure that children have immersive, joyful touchpoints with classical music outside of the traditional school calendar. During the October 2026 run of The Marriage of Figaro, OOC will also present a specially tailored Family Matinee performance. This abridged, child-friendly version of the opera is engineered to introduce young children and their families to the emotional power and theatrical magic of opera in a welcoming, unpretentious environment.
Meet the Creative Team and Principal Cast
The 2026 production boasts an enviable assembly of established British operatic talent alongside electrifying role debuts:
- Katie Blackwell (Director): Renowned for her clear narrative vision and sensitive character direction, Blackwell returns to Oxford following her acclaimed work on Tosca. Her staging of Figaro promises to lean heavily into the comic timing and intricate social subtext of Da Ponte’s libretto.
- John Warner (Conductor): A dynamic conductor known for his rapport with orchestras and singers alike, Warner will lead the Oxford Opera Orchestra, drawing out the sparkling textures, driving rhythms, and profound emotional undercurrents of Mozart’s score.
- Hugo Herman-Wilson (Figaro): Bringing fresh acclaim from his recent star-making debut at Glyndebourne in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, Herman-Wilson assumes the role of the quick-witted, resourceful valet Figaro.
- Rachel Spiers (Susanna): In an exciting role debut, Spiers takes on the part of Susanna, Figaro’s clever and sharp-tongued fiancée who consistently outsmarts her aristocratic master.
- Jack Holton (The Count Almaviva): Stepping into a major role debut, Holton portrays the arrogant, philandering Count whose schemes are repeatedly thwarted by his servants and his neglected wife.
- Nikolett Mraz (The Countess Almaviva): Mraz brings vocal warmth and poignant dignity to the role of the Rosina, the Countess, whose melancholic arias form the emotional core of the opera’s second half.
- George Robarts (Translator): Robarts’s new English translation is designed to bridge the gap between 18th-century social commentary and contemporary comedic sensibilities, ensuring that every nuance of the plot lands with modern audiences without losing the poetic integrity of the original text.
Official Statements and Artistic Vision
Speaking on the upcoming production, representatives for the Oxford Opera Company emphasized the vital cultural mission driving the organization forward.
"When we founded Oxford Opera Company in 2017, our dream was to give this historic city the permanent professional opera house it deserved," notes company leadership. "To return to the Oxford Playhouse with Mozart’s masterpiece after the success of Tosca is a testament to the appetite of our audiences. But more than that, it proves that professional excellence and community engagement can—and must—coexist."
Director Katie Blackwell expanded on the thematic approach to the 2026 production:
"The Marriage of Figaro is often performed as a breezy farce, but beneath the sparkling surface lies a profound meditation on human relationships, forgiveness, and power structures. By performing in English, in George Robarts’s wonderful new translation, we are inviting the audience into an immediate, living conversation with these characters. It is funny, it is moving, and it belongs to everyone in this theater."
Conductor John Warner highlighted the orchestral challenges and rewards of Mozart’s writing:
"Mozart’s score is a miracle of theatrical timing. Every violin run, every woodwind sigh, and every brass outburst pushes the drama forward. To play this music with the Oxford Opera Orchestra—and to share the stage with both seasoned soloists and the brilliant young members of our Youth Company—is an absolute privilege."
Future Outlook: Securing Oxford’s Operatic Legacy
As the Oxford Opera Company looks toward October 2026 and beyond, the organization is cementing its status as a permanent pillar of the UK regional arts scene. By successfully combining high-level professional touring productions with grass-roots youth development, OOC has formulated a sustainable, community-centric model for regional opera production in the 21st century.
The integration of the Youth Company into the main-stage production of The Marriage of Figaro signals a bold step toward intergenerational artistic collaboration. Rather than viewing youth outreach as an isolated educational add-on, OOC treats young performers as genuine stakeholders in its artistic output, ensuring that the passion for classical music is passed down actively rather than passively.
Looking ahead, the company plans to expand its educational workshop footprint across Oxfordshire schools, deepen its partnerships with local civic bodies, and continue commissioning new English translations of masterworks that make classical opera universally accessible.
Tickets for The Marriage of Figaro at the Oxford Playhouse on October 9 and 10, 2026—including bookings for the special Family Matinee—are expected to draw high demand. With a world-class creative team, an exceptional cast of rising stars, and the enthusiastic backing of the local community, OOC’s latest venture promises to be an unmissable cultural landmark in Oxford’s theatrical calendar.
