A note from the Archivist of Theatre Village, Keeper of Lost Programmes and Whispered Applause
In the dim-lit vaults beneath our beloved Theatre Village, amidst manuscripts brittle with age and playbills dusted in ghostlight, there lies a tale most rare — spirited, scandalous, and suffused with song. A tale long whispered through dressing-room corridors and composer’s quarters alike… and now, at last, brought forth to the stage.
That Bastard Puccini!, a most riotous and revealing comedy-drama, emerges this summer to regale and astonish. Penned by the esteemed chronicler James Inverne — once Editor of Gramophone Magazine and no stranger to the shadows behind the spotlight — this play transports us to the operatic battleground of 1893, where two titans of Italian melody, Giacomo Puccini and Ruggero Leoncavallo, duel not with swords, but with sonatas.
They fight for La Bohème. They fight for glory. But above all, they fight to be remembered.
Under the deft direction of Daniel Slater and adorned by the artistry of Carly Brownbridge, Katy Morison, and Yvonne Gilbert, this production promises a heady mix of historical intrigue, biting wit, and the eternal question: at what cost comes greatness?
Step into the fray, dear audience. For history is not only written in ink, but in jealousy, genius… and a bit of comedy
— The Archivist
Bringing to life a hilarious and captivating story of musical plagiarism, fierce competition, and an
explosive rivalry between two of opera’s legendary composers, That Bastard Puccini! is making
its world premiere in London this summer. Written by James Inverne (A Walk With Mr Heifetz,
Primary Stages, former Editor of Gramophone Magazine), this compelling new comedy-drama
will explore the high-stakes surrounding Giacomo Puccini and Ruggero Leoncavallo’s race to
claim La Bohème as their own, leading to a scandalous ‘battle of the Bohemes’, as each created
their own version.
Audiences will be transported back to 1893, where two of Italy’s most renowned composers,
Puccini and Leoncavallo, find themselves locked in an intense rivalry that will shape the future of
opera. Puccini is tantalisingly close to being hailed as Italy’s newest opera king, yet the two
composers are not only fighting for fame and glory but for their place in history, as they
confront the true cost of ambition, and creativity, in the pursuit of greatness.
Directed by internationally acclaimed opera and theatre director Daniel Slater (Santa Fe Opera;
Orfeo ed Euridice/Dido & Aeneas, Grange Festival; Making Waves, Stephen Joseph Theatre) That
Bastard Puccini! invites audiences to delve deeper into the world of Puccini and the great
composers, where art is also business, and genius its currency. By turns dramatic and hilarious, the
play seeks to explore the true, searing cost of artistic ambition.
Set and costume design will be led by Carly Brownbridge (The Laramie Project, Bristol Old Vic;
Agatha, Theatre 503), alongside lighting design from Katy Morison (Two of Us, Watford Palace;
HOME Manchester) and sound design from Yvonne Gilbert (Scissorhandz; Southwark Playhouse
Elephant; Mother Goose, Hackney Empire).
Writer James Inverne comments, I have long been fascinated by great artists and their artistic
processes – what made them great, and how did they get there? Yet, since we tend to revere our
cultural ‘sacred cows’ sometimes we stop thinking about them as real people, with all that goes
along with that. Yet the elevation of our – and their – everyday passions, jealousies, fights,
sadnesses and joys is what makes for great art. And this little-known true-life story lays that
process bare. I wrote the play during the last stages of the COVID pandemic. With theatres
having only just reopened, the importance of art in our lives, having been without it for the first
time, was something I felt intensely, and this story spoke to that. As, post-lockdown, did its
characters’ manic creative energy!
Supporting the show, will be The Svetlanov Legacy Charity that strives to promote and support
the heritage of Evgeny Svetlanov’s compositions, recordings, books and videos of his legendary
concerts. They also support the development of the arts by selecting young talents in various
musical fields and helping them through scholarships and awards, and utilise the legacy of
Maestro Svetlanov to advance the education of the public in, and to further the appreciation
and the performance of the art of music.
That Bastard, Puccini!
Thursday 10th July – Saturday 9th August 2025
100 minutes (including an interval)
Park Theatre, 13 Clifton Terrace, London, N4 3JP
Tickets are available from £16 previews/ £28 standard at
https://parktheatre.co.uk/event/that-bastard-puccini/
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