Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 14, 2026

Pimlico Opera

Pimlico Opera is an opera company and registered charity founded in 1987 by Wasfi Kani.

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Jul 14, 2026
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Pimlico Opera is an opera company and registered charity founded in 1987 by Wasfi Kani.12

The company aims to use participation in opera to advance personal development – particularly with younger people and to engender a sense of community.345

The most recent production from Pimlico Opera was Sweet Charity staged in HMP Bronzefield in November 2018. Olivier award-nominated actress Laura Pitt-Pulford6 played the leading role of Charity Hope Valentine.7

History

Though its focus today is solely in prisons and primary schools, Pimlico Opera was known for 19 years (1990-2008) as an Arts Council-funded small-scale touring company. In those years, repertoire included the Da Ponte trilogy, Cenerentola, Falstaff, Pagliacci, Turn of the Screw, Rigoletto, Gianni Schicchi and the company travelled from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Padstow in Cornwall. Pimlico Opera staged the European première of Shostakovich's musical comedy Cheryomushki at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith on 20 October 1994. A translation was commissioned David Pountney and composer Gerard McBurney to create a reduced orchestration. A documentary was made by the BBC "Another Bite of the Cherry".8

In prison

Pimlico Opera has been staging productions in prisons since 1991.9 In 1993, BBC Wales filmed the three-month process involved in putting on a show inside a prison. This was made into a documentary called Guys, Dolls and D-Wing that was aired on BBC2.10

Prison projects since 1991:

1991: HMP Wormwood Scrubs Sweeney Todd

1992: HMP Wandsworth West Side Story

1993: HMP Wandsworth Guys & Dolls

1995: HMP Wandsworth West Side Story

1996: Mountjoy Prison Dublin West Side Story 1112

1997: HMP Bullingdon, Oxfordshire West Side Story

1999: HMP Downview Threepenny Opera.13

2001: HMP Winchester Threepenny Opera

2002: HMP Winchester West Side Story

2003: HMP Wormwood Scrubs Guys & Dolls

2004 HMP Ashwell, Leicestershire Assassins

2005: HMP Coldingley, Surrey Assassins14

2006: HMP Bronzefield Middlesex Chicago15

2007: HMP Wandsworth Les Miserables16

2008: HMP Kingston Sweeney Todd (Project cancelled)

2009: HMP Wandsworth West Side Story

2010: HMP Wandsworth Carmen - The Musical

2011: HMP Send, Surrey Sugar

2012: HMP Erlestoke, Wiltshire Les Miserables 17

2013: HMP Erlestoke, Wiltshire West Side Story18

2014: HMP Bronzefield Sister Act19

2015: HMP ISIS Our House20

2017: HMP High Down Les Miserables21

2018: HMP Bronzefield Sweet Charity22

In primary schools

Every week of the school year, Pimlico Opera gives 2,000 primary children a half hour singing class. Schools are selected in which there is little or no music provision, with KS2 results below the national average and a high percentage of free school meals.23

The project takes place in Hampshire, Surrey, Durham, Newcastle, and Nottingham.24

References

References

  1. "Charity framework". apps.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  2. "OMTF Pimlico Opera profile". Opera and Musical Theatre Forum. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  3. Johnston, Rosie (1 March 2007). "Can opera save our prisons?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2017-05-10. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  4. "House of Commons - Culture, Media and Sport - Written Evidence". publications.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-10-29. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  5. "Pimlico Opera". Opera and Musical Theatre Forum. Archived from the original on 2009-07-03. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  6. Stage, Guardian (2016-02-29). "Olivier awards 2016: complete list of nominations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2016-08-01. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  7. "Musical Theatre Review". 14 February 2019.
  8. "OPERA / House warming: Cheryomushki - Pimlico Opera". The Independent. 1994-10-22. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  9. "Charity framework". apps.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  10. "Media: How prisoners on cell block D acted with real conviction". The Independent. 1993-12-29. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  11. Sheridan, Kathy. "JAILHOUSE OPERA". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  12. Andy Pollak. "Pros and cons produce great show in Mountjoy's Prison Playhouse". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  13. Billington, Michael (1999-02-13). "Putting the screws on a prison opera". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2015-10-21. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  14. "Inmates to make a prison drama out of Sondheim's 'Assassins'". The Independent. 2005-03-04. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  15. Kennedy, Maev (2006-03-06). "Women prisoners stage Chicago". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  16. "Musical Theatre Review".
  17. "Musical Theatre Review".
  18. "West Side Story". darragholeary.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  19. Hugill, Robert. "Sister Act in Prison - Pimlico Opera at HMP Bronzefield". Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  20. "Musical Theatre Review".
  21. "Musical Theatre Review".
  22. "Sweet Charity Success for HMP Bronzefield". Country.com HMP Bronzefield UK. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  23. "Pimlico Opera".
  24. "Pimlico Opera".
Further reading

Further reading