Gianni Schicchi
or where there’s a will
I’ve been commissioned to write a new spoken-word overture for the exciting new OperaUpClose production of the Puccini classic Gianni Schicchi, or, Where There’s a Will. The show tours from March 2026.
Featuring some of the most famous music in opera and inspired by wildly popular modern-day ‘whodunnits’ such as The White Lotus and Knives Out, Gianni Schicchi (or Where There’s A Will) brings Puccini roaring into the 21st Century.
Set in the fictional seaside town of Harmouth, a wealthy second-home owner is throwing one last seasonal soirée. As the evening quickly unravels, the local ‘fixer’ Gianni Schicchi enters the fray and things go from bad to worse for the entitled liberal elite. Who should be held to account in a world where everyone is out for themselves?
A stellar cast bring this brilliantly subversive and satirical take on Puccini's family farce to the stage, with a newly commissioned spoken-word overture, under the “sharp and intelligent” direction of 2025 Sky Arts Award winner PJ Harris.
Pride In The Shirt
a football & arts project for the LGBTQIA+ community
Pride In The Shirt is a football & arts project, combining active and creative sessions for the LGBTQIA+ community in the New Forest & Hampshire.
Working with a series of LGBTQIA+ groups in New Milton, Marchwood and Sway, the project connects young folks with sport and activity, using creative activities to explore their relationship with being active.
Thanks to the support of AFC Bournemouth’s Community Hub, we’re offering 2x taster sessions at Ringwood Community Hub, before starting a longer series from January 2026.
The project is supported by Culture In Common, Energise Me, Hampshire FA, AFC Bournemouth, Southampton Pride, and Football Supporters’ Association.
These are on 22nd November & 13th December, and you can sign-up via the link below.
City Reflections
Illuminating Southampton’s Stories
Carrying on from February 2025’s City Reflections 1, which celebrated Southampton local heroes, Southampton Forward and partners are bringing a new series of exciting, dynamic light projections to Southampton for February 2026.
City Reflections: Illuminating Southampton’s Stories
Along with 5 other Community Curators, representing a community from the diverse Southampton area, I’ve been assigned the Southampton City Gallery Archives, representing the LGBTQIA+ community.
The project has been beyond a privilege to work on, allowing me access to the amazing works stored in the city’s archives, and involving my community in the selection and curation of the items and stories to be celebrated. We’ve created a dynamic story inspired by our experiences, that can speak to the wider experiences of Southampton locals - of finding generosity, welcome and reinvention within this amazing city.
Huge thanks to the Southampton Gallery and City Council teams, to the Southampton Forward team, and to key artists such as Lucy Ash, whose work, creativity and allyship we could not do the project without.
City Reflections: Illuminating Southampton’s Stories is an animated light projection trail that will run across four evenings in February 2026, bringing the city’s history to life in bold and creative ways. Six historic buildings across Southampton’s Old Town and city centre will be transformed with large-scale projections, immersive soundscapes and storytelling inspired by the city’s art, maritime and archaeology collections.
