Experience a fresh take on Mozart and Da Ponte’s effervescent comedy.
Nature or nurture? Are women like that? Who is like what exactly? And why do the men behave so badly in this story?
In Barefoot Opera’s new production, Don Alfonso is a scientist bent on testing his thesis: “All women are like that”. A group of prototype humans are pushed through a series of experiments in human behaviour – but does Alfonso have the last laugh?
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Running time
2 hours 10 minutes (including interval) -
Age guidance
10+ -
Discounts
Concessions Available
Praise for Barefoot Opera:
"This new, stripped-down production... offers a much more personal style of storytelling than a large-scale opera house. In the Arcola Theatre’s intimate space, the opera’s classic larger-than-life characters are brought to life with a very human touch."– A Youngish Perspective, on Lucia di Lammermoor (2025)
The Company
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Joel Robson
Don Alfonso
Joel Robson
Don Alfonso
Joel is currently at the Royal Academy of Music Opera School, having recently appeared as Argante (Rinaldo) and Dancaïre (Carmen), and won the Blyth-Buesst Operatic Prize. His teacher is Mark Wildman, and his studies are supported by the Anatoly Mishin Award. Joel also holds a BA, MA, and an MPhil from King’s College, Cambridge, where he was also a Choral Scholar, and an MPerf from the Royal College of Music.
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Minglu Gao
Fiordiligi / Ensemble
Minglu Gao
Fiordiligi / Ensemble
Minglu Gao is a Chinese soprano who completed her Artist Diploma withDistinction at Trinity Laban Conservatoire. In 2025 she sang Despina at the Vienna Opera Festival and Giunone at London Blackheath Halls. A Peter Hearn Foundation prizewinner, she has performed in Italy with OperAffinity. In 2026 her engagements include Liu (Turandot) with Concerto Lirico, Gilda (Rigoletto) at the Vienna Opera Festival, and Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) on tour with Barefoot Opera.
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Katerina Oikonomou
Fiordiligi / Ensemble
Katerina Oikonomou
Fiordiligi / Ensemble
Katerina Oikonomou is a coloratura soprano celebrated for her vivid stage presence and exceptional vocal agility. Recent roles include the Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte) and Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail). An international prizewinner, she has received First Prizes in New York, London, and the Vivaldi Competition, and was a laureate of the Mozart Competition in Vienna. She also collaborated with the Marina Abramović Institute and works as a screen actress.
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Toshi Ogita
Ferrando / Ensemble
Toshi Ogita
Ferrando / Ensemble
Toshi Ogita graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, under the tutelage of Richard Berkeley-Steele. Previously, Toshi read MA History of Art & History of Music at the University of Edinburgh. He was a choral scholar at Paisley Abbey, sang at Truro Cathedral, and Winchester Cathedral. Roles: Malcolm in Verdi’s Macbeth (Duchy Opera), Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Mayor in Albert Herring, and Basilio/Don Curzio in Le Nozze di Figaro.
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Bartosz Thiede
Ferrando / Ensemble
Bartosz Thiede
Ferrando / Ensemble
Bart Thiede is a Polish-Irish award-winning composer, musical director and conductor based in Oxford. A University of Oxford graduate, he works across theatre, broadcasting, choral music and opera. He recently created Have You Met Stan?, which opened at London’s King’s Head Theatre after Brighton Fringe and OFFBEAT Festival runs. His commercial recordings include Mater Mundi (Chorum) and On Christmas Night (OxRecs), alongside original soundtracks for podcasts and short films. As an artistic director, he has produced large-scale concert series and festivals. Bart has also led music programmes in schools, cathedrals, and festivals, with a focus on accessible, cross-genre performance.
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Oscar Castellino
Guglielmo / Ensemble
Oscar Castellino
Guglielmo / Ensemble
A graduate of the RCM and recipient of the Christopher Ball Welsh National Opera Scholarship, and ensemble singer at the Royal Opera, Oscar made his solo debut at Welsh National Opera as George Benton in Dead Man Walking. The Times UK described his performance as James Meredith in Kommiltonen1 as ‘a highlight’, while the Morning Star praised him as ‘mesmerising’. Oscar is a longtime associate of Barefoot Opera.
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Isaac Conibear
Guglielmo / Ensemble
Isaac Conibear
Guglielmo / Ensemble
Isaac Conibear is a postgraduate baritone, studying under the tuition of Dr Robert Anderson at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Isaac holds the Drapers de Turkheim scholarship for the 2025-2026, after receiving the Kathleen Robert’s Vocal Scholarship for the previous year. Isaac competed in RCSheriff’s young musician of the year in 2019 having won the first prize, and also competed again in 2021 receiving the 2nd prize.
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Mahtab Ghamsari
Dorabella / Ensemble
Mahtab Ghamsari
Dorabella / Ensemble
Mahtab Ghamsari is an Iranian-Canadian soprano currently completing a Master in Vocal Studies at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London. Mahtab sings both Iranian and Classical music and started training in Opera in 2018. Her performed roles include The dew fairy (Hansel & Gretel), Valencienne (The Merry Widow), Blue Fairy (Pinocchio) among others. She also works in music research and media technology, building software, electronic instruments, and research on live music.
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Jane Rooney
Dorabella / Ensemble
Jane Rooney
Dorabella / Ensemble
Jane Rooney was Leask Music Scholar at St Catherine’s College, Oxford University. She has worked with renowned conductors including Mark Duley, Christophe Rousset, and John Butt as a soprano in Resurgam, one of Ireland’s most acclaimed vocal ensembles. She studied opera with Lynda Lee at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Her current teacher is Penny Randall-Davis.
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Zara Donaldson
Despina / Ensemble
Zara Donaldson
Despina / Ensemble
Zara is pursuing a Masters Degree at Trinity Laban studying with Patricia Rozario.
Past performances include Giulietta in Bellini’s Capuletti e I Montecchi for the University of Redlands Conservatory California, soloist with Royal Leamington Spa Bach Choir and Berlin Opera Academy as Dew Fairy in Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel.
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Ruby Caddick Laurence
Despina / Ensemble
Ruby Caddick Laurence
Despina / Ensemble
Ruby is a soprano, vocalist and composer based in London. Having studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire and Goldsmiths University, Ruby performs a variety of repertoire, with a passion for contemporary classical and experimental music, exploring non-traditional notation, improvisation and performance art.
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Jenny Miller
Director
Jenny Miller
Director
Jenny Miller sang for Glyndebourne, Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Scottish Opera, and the RBO, Brunnhilde, Tosca and Witch for Longborough Festival Opera, developing a parallel career as a director. Directing credits include L’Incoronazione Di Poppea, the four Da Ponte/Mozart operas, Die Zauberflote, Rinaldo, Xerxes, Alcina and Anna Bolena for LFO, directing touring versions of these productions. Jenny continues to research the link between classical voice training and current theatre practice.
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Lesley Anne Sammons
Music Director / Keyboard / Arrangement
Lesley Anne Sammons
Music Director / Keyboard / Arrangement
Lesley Anne Sammons is a conductor, répétiteur, arranger and vocal coach. As répétiteur and vocal coach she has held full-time positions at Scottish Opera, Teatro Massimo di Palermo and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Lesley Anne is an Associate Lecturer at Chichester, nurturing young talent on the Triple Threat Course for Musical Theatre.
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Lucy Mulgan
Double Bass / Arrangement
Lucy Mulgan
Double Bass / Arrangement
Lucy Mulgan is a bassist, composer and arranger from Aotearoa NZ based in the UK, specialising in community opera. Her children’s operas have been performed by Royal Ballet & Opera, NZ Opera and Barefoot Opera and sung and performed by over 10,000 young people both in the UK and Aotearoa NZ.
In 2026 Lucy is performing with NZ Opera, English Touring Opera, Barefoot Opera and Opera Up Close.
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Alexandra Baybutt
Movement Director
Alexandra Baybutt
Movement Director
Alexandra Baybutt (PhD, RSME, CMA) works as a movement director and artist, educator and researcher in the UK and internationally since 2004. She has been working with Jenny Miller on the Barefoot embodied pedagogy along with Evelyn Miller and Penny Randall-Davis for over a decade. She lectures in performance practice and devising at UCL on the BA Creative Arts and Humanities amongst other freelance projects.
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Wendy Olver
Costume Designer
Wendy Olver
Costume Designer
New Zealand-born Wendy Olver is a multi-talented designer, costumier and stylist and her work has featured in everything from music videos, theatre and fashion shoots to window displays and advertising. She is a positive, hard-working professional with a wealth of experience in costume and prop design always able to think on her feet and work well under pressure, whilst maintaining a high level of work ethic.
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Jack Hathaway
Lighting Designer
Jack Hathaway
Lighting Designer
Previous credits include: After Miss Julie (Park); Da Vinci’s Laundry, FLUSH (Riverside Studios); Rapunzel (Theatre Royal Bury); The Poltergeist (Arcola Theatre); Far Away (Ambika P3); Shout! The Musical (UK Tour); The Watch (The Glitch) Super Model in the Caff, Moderation (Hope Theatre); Damien Nettles (Quay Arts); The Stone God (Bloomsbury Theatre); Empty But Solid (The Place); Peter Pan (Malthouse); I Really Do Think This Will Change Your Life (Mercury Theatre); Still Lives (Peckham Rye).
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Eric Moll
Stage Manager
Eric Moll
Stage Manager
Eric Moll is a theatre practitioner from Anchorage, Alaska, who has been living in the UK since 2021. Selected directing credits include Into the Woods (Bangor University) and Dream & Variation (Bangor University; also co-writer and composer).
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Boaz Johnson
Assistant to the Musical Director
Boaz Johnson
Assistant to the Musical Director
Boaz is a pianist, teacher and music facilitator based in South-East London. He grew up in Cardiff, and attended the RWCMD Junior Conservatoire before studying Music at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he completed a dissertation on the performance of Western Art music, marginality and embodiment. He has worked extensively accompanying singing, and is currently working as an associate lecturer at Goldsmiths.