Wexford Festival Opera Announces Heather Hadrill And Grace Morgan As Directors Of The Pocket Operas For 2023 Festival

Wexford Festival Opera 2023 promises a packed programme for this year's festival. As part of the festival's commitment to nurturing a new generation of creative artists, WFO invited applications from young directors and set designers, who are Irish or based in Ireland, to develop stage concepts for the two operas.

Wexford Festival Opera today announced that Heather Hadrill and Grace Morgan will direct these two Pocket Operas / Opera Beag. General booking is now open for the festival. For more see wexfordopera.com

Local to Wexford, Heather Hadrill's directing credits include Handel's Acis and Galatea and Purcell's Dido & Aeneas for Scuola del Canto Libero, Prague; she has also directed/produced for theatre with Travelling Light Theatre Company and Four Rivers Theatre Co. Closer to home, Heather was the Artist in Residence at Wexford Arts Centre 2021.

Heather will direct La fille du régiment by Gaetano Donizetti (1840) a well-loved comic opera following the story of an orphan girl 'adopted' by a regiment of soldiers.

Grace Morgan will direct Suor Angelica by Giacomo Puccini (1918). Puccini's beautiful score tells of one woman's ultimate sacrifice when caught in circumstances enforced upon her by both her family and society.

Grace is a theatre-maker, she is Associate Artistic Director of Pan Pan Theatre and is a founder director of theatre company tasteinyourmouth. Her recent credits include The Sudden (Dublin Dance Festival, Pan Pan), MESPIL IN THE DARK LIVE (co-director, Pan Pan) and You're Needy (sounds frustrating at Camden People's Theatre).

Wexford Festival Opera has a truly distinctive character. The Festival's founders set Wexford apart from the beginning with a bold and unique vision: to rediscover long-neglected works, staging revivals of the highest artistic quality.

It is a vision to which the Festival has held fast for more than 70 years and that continues to give Wexford Festival Opera its distinctive character. Establishing its reputation for high-quality productions that, every year, bring thousands of opera-lovers flocking to Wexford from all over the world tempts audiences to Wexford in pursuit of the next big discovery, whether that be an opera, a singer, conductor, director or Wexford town itself. A Festival of discovery and celebration, join us on a journey to the ultimate Wexford Festival Opera experience.