The Station
A comic opera in one act revised for 7 singers, piano and string quartet
First Performance: Jigsaw Opera Group, Battersea Arts Centre, July 1996.
Characters: Amelia (Soprano), Freddie (Tenor), Phil (Contralto), Joe (Rock Singer/baritone), Stationmaster (Bass), Sandra (Mezzo-Soprano), Brenda (Mezzo-Soprano). Originally written for English National tenor Jeffrey Talbot and first performed by him and cast at Forsyth’s Barn Theatre, Ansty in May 1975 near to Howard’s Highbridge Mill Estate where he lived from 1971 to 1981. It was extensively revised in 1991 for the re-launch at the appropriately-named Platform Theatre in Haywards Heath with coverage by BBC and ITV.
A run in Australia: ‘The Station’ A comic opera in one act for 7 singers, piano and string quartet performed at The Opera House Marleston: “Blake is an experienced composer for film and television and he shows his understanding of dramatic pacing in this piece staged by the Opera Studio of the State Opera of South Australia. The piece is really a short encapsulation of what makes opera work: the search for love, conflict, anger, frustration. In less than an hour it was quite amazing just how much ground Howard Blake had been able to cover without the train ever leaving the station”. – Tom Sankey, Opera.
A run in USA:
THE STATION, Sugar Land Opera/Imperial Performing Arts, Briscoe Manor, Houston, Texas 12th March 2009
– 15th March 2009
*THE STATION
THE STATION, State Opera of South Australia, Opera House Marleston SA 29th June 2006
– 2nd July 2006 *THE STATION
THE STATION, Jigsaw Opera Group, Thaxted August 1996 *THE STATION
THE STATION, Jigsaw Opera Group, Battersea Arts Centre July 1996 *THE STATION
THE STATION, Jigsaw opera group, Purcell Room,The South Bank,London 21st July 1996
– 24th July 1996 *THE STATION
THE STATION, The Platform Theatre,Haywards Heath,Sussex 18th November 1992
– 21st November 1992
The Station (original version), Platform Theatre, Haywards Heath 1975, revd,1991. 18th November 1992