Opera Scotland

Peter Grimes 1964Sadler's Wells Opera

Read more about the opera Peter Grimes

Sadler's Wells Opera created British operatic history in 1945 when Peter Grimes was given its first performance. It is perhaps surprising, then, that it has not constantly been in the company's repertoire. This staging, opening on tour at Oxford on 23 April 1963, had been taken on the tour to Munich soon after, giving the local premiere, but this was its only trip north. It did not survive the company's move to the Coliseum in 1968.

This spring visit only lasted for two weeks, starting in Glasgow on 6 April before moving on to Edinburgh. The performance schedule for Glasgow was as follows: Mon Così; Tue Peter Grimes; Wed Rigoletto; Thu Così; Fri Samson and Delilah; Sat mat & eve La Vie Perisienne. In Edinburgh the order changed, except for Monday and Saturday, but the content was the same.

The cast has a particularly strong Australian element with Ronald Dowd as a fiercely dramatic Grimes, Elizabeth Fretwell as Ellen, Harry Mossfield as Balstrode and Gregory Dempsey as Boles.

Cast details from a programme in the Edinburgh City Library with major roles confirmed for Glasgow from the review in the Herald of 8 April.