WNO Youth Opera celebrates 20th anniversary, with groundbreaking new bilingual opera production

Welsh National Opera is set to mark a major milestone this month, celebrating two decades of its acclaimed WNO Youth Opera programme with an innovative new bilingual commission that showcases exceptional young talent.

Panig! Attack!! The Seligman Youth Opera Performance, composed by WNO Youth Opera Music Director Dan Perkin with a libretto by Bethan Marlow, follows the journey of two very different gangs with some very eccentric ideas of the world. It will be performed at The New Theatre, Cardiff on Saturday 26 April, with matinee and evening performances at 2:30pm and 7:30pm.

This groundbreaking new opera is formed of WNO Youth Opera members past and present, singing in English and Welsh with surtitles in both languages. Its principal cast includes Welsh soprano Jessica Robinson playing the part of Panicydd, and Cardiff-based baritone Mica Liberta-Smith playing the part of Attacker. The production also features BSL performer Sarah Adedeji, in the role of Tali.

Challenging each other to think differently and see the world anew, Panig! Attack!! is a story of survival in the face of global emergency. Accompanied by WNO Orchestra, this heart-warming story not only showcases the exceptional talent of WNO Youth Opera participants and celebrates the commitment they have shown over the years, but also highlights the importance of finding connection, hope and friendship.

Panig! Attack!! The Seligman Youth Opera Performance features 60 current WNO Youth Opera members aged 10-18, ten performers age 18 plus from its alumni, plus school children aged 8-11 who were recruited from Gwaunmeisgyn Primary School in Beddau.

The creative team comprises of: Composer Dan Perkin, Librettist Bethan Marlow, Conductor Olivia Clarke, Director Hannah Noone, Assistant Director Juliette Manon, Set and Costume Designer April Dalton, Lighting Designer Ceri James, Movement Director Krystal S Lowe, Vocal Director Siân Cameron, Producer Paula Scott.

This is the first time WNO Youth Opera has created a BSL character within one of its operas, which is being performed by BSL Performer, Sarah Adedeji. The team have been creatively guided by Theatre Company Taking Flight, working in rehearsals and in performances with BSL/English/Cymraeg Rehearsal & Stage Interpreter Cathryn McShane-Kouyaté.

Dan Perkin said: “It’s been a joy to be part of WNO’s Youth Opera for the past 20 years, meeting and working with so many amazing young people. Bringing together past and present participants, along with new voices, felt like the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary milestone.

“Bethan has done a great job of incorporating ideas from our young people and, as such, you can expect humour, a touch of the absurd, and perhaps even a zombie or two! But underneath all the chaos is a touching story about conflict, the futility of conflict, and how sometimes we’re so focussed on what makes us distinct from each other that it blinds us to the common ground we share.

The group has poured tremendous energy into this production, and you can expect the joyful, high-energy performance that has become WNO Youth Opera's hallmark over the years.”

WNO Youth Opera boasts an impressive track record, having launched the careers of numerous opera singers and industry professionals, including Natalya Romaniw, Samantha Price and Jordan Lee Davies. What sets WNO Youth Opera apart is its inclusive approach – with no auditions required and bursary and travel support available, the programme welcomes young people from all backgrounds.

Full scale WNO Youth Opera productions include The Very Last Green Thing (2024),

The Pied Piper & The Crab that Played with the Sea (2023), Judith Weir’s The Black Spider (2022), Shostakovich’s Cherry Town, Moscow (2022), Brundibár (2019), Kommilitonen!

(2016) and Paul Bunyan (2013). These bold productions have earned five-star critical acclaim in the national press, (Brundibár), been nominated for a South Bank Sky Arts Award (Paul

Bunyan) and won awards from Wales Music Theatre (Kommilitonen!) and the Royal Philharmonic Society (Paul Bunyan).

Paula Scott, WNO Producer, said: “What a brilliant way to celebrate this achievement showcasing the multi-talented Youth Opera Company, working with incredible BSL Performer Sarah Adedeji, alongside the extraordinary Theatre Company, Taking Flight!

WNO Youth Opera was established in the mid-1990s to share our love of opera with aspiring young singers. Our aim has always been to open up a world of new experiences and opportunities that are both fun and exciting. "Panig! Attack!!" is more than just a performance – it's a celebration of two decades of nurturing young artistic talent. The opera challenges audiences to think differently, presenting a heart-warming story of survival, connection, and friendship in the face of global challenges.”

Welsh National Youth Opera is just one strand of WNO’s talent development programme to nurture opera talent for the future. WNO’s Associate Artist programme provides the opportunity for recent graduates who have specialised in any strand of performance or vocal studies to develop their performance skills and career within an opera company. Former Associate Artists include Harriet Eyley, Rebecca Afonwy Jones, and Wynne Evans.

Tickets for Panig! Attack!! are on sale now from newtheatrecardiff.co.uk. Tickets cost £25, with £15 tickets for under 16s. For more information on the production visit wno.org.uk/panigattack

WNO Youth Opera and The Seligman Performance is supported by The Seligman Gift, The Clive Richards Foundation, The Gibbs Trust,  Andrew Fletcher,  WNO Friends and WNO Partners. More information about WNO Youth Opera can be found on the WNO website.

ENDS

For media enquiries, photos, or interviews, please contact: Elin Rees, Communications Consultant | comms@wno.org.uk

Notes to Editors

Welsh National Opera is the national opera company for Wales, funded by the Arts Councils of Wales and England to provide large-scale opera, concerts and outreach across Wales and to major cities in the English regions. We endeavour to provide transformative experiences through our education and outreach programme and our award-winning digital projects. We work with our partners to discover and nurture young operatic talent, and we aim to show future generations that opera is a rewarding, relevant and universal art form with the power to affect and inspire. 

WNO production images are available for download at wno.org.uk/press