Paisley Opera

Paisley Opera Paisley Opera: Opera for and with the people of Paisley, Passion! not Posh What is Paisley Opera…? This means sharing a great art with great people. Who are we….?

Paisley Opera is an idea born out of passion and a belief that opera can speak directly to all kinds of people. We want to create a company that the people of Paisley can be proud of. This means creating and staging opera in unpredictable and unusual places close to the streets of the town. It means opening the doors and inviting people in to watch our work and to work with us. It's a different wa

y of making opera, one that we’ve put a lot of thought, experience and research into. We need you to come and be part of it. We are a group of highly experienced professional singers, musicians, stage directors and technicians who have in common a passion for keeping opera alive and for involving local people in the company as much as we can. Our artistic director, Simon Hannigan moved to Paisley in 2010 and instantly fell in love with the town becoming more and more convinced that Paisley is an ideal place for this long-planned project. As Urban Opera, we put on our first performance in Paisley at the University of The West of Scotland in December 2015. Since then we have been planning on how best to make the company a real part of this great town. How can I get involved…? Come and be a volunteer. There are several ways you can help: We are starting a volunteer chorus in February of this year. This will be the core of the company. It’ll be supported by experienced professional chorus leaders who will be there to help and inspire us all as we sing some of the great choruses. What experience do I need? None at all, lots or somewhere in between. In other words, anyone can join. There are no auditions for the voluntary chorus, so whether you have sung in choirs and would like to try something a bit different or haven’t sung since someone at school told you you couldn’t, come and join us ! But I can’t sing… We firmly believe that everyone, given the right help can sing. So if you’ve always thought you couldn’t but would like to try.. Come and join us. We’ll help you find your voice. Do I need to read music? No. If you can read music, great, but there will be plenty of help available for learning your parts. Apart from rehearsals, we’ll be sending out sound files with your parts so that you can practice them at home. Are there age restrictions ? We welcome anyone of 18 years to 98 and beyond ! In the future, we will be looking to involve under 18s, but we need to get the adult chorus up and running first.

After 4 packed shows (3 sellouts!) that's us over and out for another production 🫡Carmen has been such a joy of a show t...
24/05/2026

After 4 packed shows (3 sellouts!) that's us over and out for another production 🫡

Carmen has been such a joy of a show to put together and perform, and we're so proud of the incredible reception it's received from audiences ❤️

If you came along to any of the performances including the dress rehearsal, we'd love to hear what you thought of the show! 📢

So many people have come together and given their skills to make this show happen, firstly the amazing Chorus of Paisley Opera who have given so much of their time, energy and enthusiasm to Carmen for over a year, which is really no mean feat, and to our incredible cast and Professional Chorus Leaders:

Rosie Lavery as Carmen
Xavier Hetherington as Joseph Reid
Ross Cu***ng as Escamillo
Catriona Clark as Mhairi
Rachael Swainson as Frances
Heather Ireson as Maggie
Matthew Kimble as Rob
Douglas Nairne as Danny
Martin Higgins as Jamie
Jonathan Forbes Kennedy as Malachi
And Pro Chorus Leaders Paul Anwyl, Penelope Cousland, Cailean Swainson and Audrey Tsang

We've got to say a huge thank you to Scottish Opera and right2dance for their continued partnership which both elevate our shows so much in their own way, to the Tannahill Centre for all of their support Two Towns Down Brewing for providing a great pre-show bar.

Then there is everyone behind the scenes who gives so much of their time to really make Carmen so special for us all:

Our wonderful Director and Co-founder, Simon Hannigan , co-founder Anne Hannigan, our fabulous conductor Alistair Digges, Designer Kirstin Rodger, Assistant Designer Chantal Jarem, Lighting Designer Leo Wittwer, Fight and Intimacy Director Carlotta De Gregori, Stage Manager Katie Edmunson, Assistant Stage Manager Emma Robb, Assistant Director/Production Coordinator Liz Birrenbach, Admin Assistant/Production Coordinator Luke Duncan, Prop Maker Kay Johanna, Rehearsal Accompanist Andrew Brown, Children's Chorus Coordinator Emma Walton, Marketing and Promotional Design Lead Eilidh Riddell and all of our volunteer stewards, helpers and drivers.

And thank you to Sartorial Pictures for all of the stunning photos you've taken, including these ones! 📷

Cheesin' for a reason - Carmen opens tomorrow! 🤩Can we appreciate the costume and set design that takes you right back t...
15/05/2026

Cheesin' for a reason - Carmen opens tomorrow! 🤩

Can we appreciate the costume and set design that takes you right back to a booming and bustling 1960s Paisley, created by our amazing designer Kirstin Rodger 💃 And, of course, with a nod to our favourite St Mirren FC
⚽

🎟️ There are still a handful of tickets left for opening night - hopefully we'll see you there! Head to Paisleyopera.org 🎟️

📷 Sartorial Pictures

15/05/2026

First thoughts on Paisley Opera's Carmen 🥰

We were delighted to welcome an exclusive audience of key figures from the local community to our dress rehearsal yesterday, who loved the 1960s nostalgia, the storytelling and of course the stunning music 🎶

Being joined by the incredible Orchestra of Scottish Opera and right2dance really lifted the show up a notch, too! ✨

There are still a few tickets left for our opening night tomorrow, and next Tuesday and Thursday's performances - grab your tickets at Paisleyopera.org 🎟️

14/05/2026

Did you catch us on the radio yesterday? 😉

Head to to hear our director, Simon Hannigan, and Rosie Lavery who's playing Carmen on Arts Mix chatting all things Carmen! 📻

We've only got 2 days left til opening night, so please get yourself a ticket and come along - this is such a unique show and you don't want to miss it 💃

Paisley Opera's Carmen at the
16th, 19th, 21st May 7.15pm
24th May 3pm (sold out)

🎟️ Tickets at PaisleyOpera.org (link in bio) 🎟️

Carmen's on the radio! 📻🎶Today we've had the pleasure of being featured on not one but TWO radio shows! Rosie Lavery pla...
13/05/2026

Carmen's on the radio! 📻🎶

Today we've had the pleasure of being featured on not one but TWO radio shows!

Rosie Lavery playing Carmen and director Simon Hannigan were on BBC Radio Scotland The Arts Mix ⤵️

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002w83t?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

And some of our community chorus members graced Paisley Heritage SCIO radio! ⤵️

https://m.soundcloud.com/07723153424/carmen-steve-hat-and-guests?ref=whatsapp-image&p=a&c=0&si=02d10a7720fa4e6e862fdeb76c60f1f6&utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=message&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Just three days til we open, so make sure you grab yourself a ticket for Carmen at paisleyopera.org 🥰

The Tannahill Centre
16th, 19th, 21st May 7.15pm
24th 3pm (sold out)

📷 Sartorial Pictures

Tickets for next Sunday's matinee show of Carmen are officially sold out!! 😍 Grab yourself a ticket for another night wh...
12/05/2026

Tickets for next Sunday's matinee show of Carmen are officially sold out!! 😍 Grab yourself a ticket for another night while you can, starting on Saturday! 💃

Here we are enjoying our Sitzprobe (first rehearsal with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera!)

🎟️ Tickets: paisleyopera.org 🎟️

There's only 5 days to go until Paisley Opera's Carmen begins! And if you fancy a cheeky drink during the show, we've go...
11/05/2026

There's only 5 days to go until Paisley Opera's Carmen begins! And if you fancy a cheeky drink during the show, we've got you covered 😉

Two Towns Down Brewing is bringing the good stuff for you to enjoy while the Orchestra of Scottish Opera and over 60 singers take to the stage!🍺

While you might be sitting down to watch one of the most famous opera's ever written, we always do things a bit differently! Our story is set in Ferguslie Mills in the 1960s and has also been translated into our own Paisley Scots version - there are some real crackers of lines we hope you hear! 🤣

Our final matinee performance is very nearly sold out, but there are still tickets for the other 3 nights, so grab one while you can at:

🎟️ PaisleyOpera.org 🎟️

💃 Paisley Opera's Carmen by Georges Bizet 💃
At the Tannahill Centre (free shuttle bus service from Paisley Gilmour Street)
16th, 19th, 21st May 7.15pm
24th May 3pm
Tickets from £5 to £25

🎟️ PaisleyOpera.org 🎟️Less than a week to go until Paisley Opera's Carmen is yours to see! 💃We're loving this 1960s spin...
10/05/2026

🎟️ PaisleyOpera.org 🎟️

Less than a week to go until Paisley Opera's Carmen is yours to see! 💃

We're loving this 1960s spin on the original, with Carmen working in the Ferguslie Mill 🧵🪡

We're also buzzing to be collaborating again with the amazing Orchestra of Scottish Opera and right2dance for the 3rd production in a row! 🎻

We'll also be performing in our very own "Paisley" Scots version of the opera instead of the original French 🥖

If you think you don't know opera - you'll definitely know lots of the music in this one! It's the perfect show for your first trip to the opera! 🎶

You can still grab a ticket at PaisleyOpera.org

Performances at the Tannahill Centre, Paisley
16th, 19th, 21st May 7.15pm
24th May 3pm

📷 Sartorial Pictures

Big thanks to The Renfrewshire Gazette publishing a story all about our Carmen production 😍🎟️ Get your tickets at Paisle...
07/05/2026

Big thanks to The Renfrewshire Gazette publishing a story all about our Carmen production 😍

🎟️ Get your tickets at PaisleyOpera.org

Paisley Opera is reimagining Bizet's Carmen through a distinctly Scottish lens.

Fancy a wee night out? 🎷We're so honoured to have the Kirkintilloch Brass Band playing a concert to help us fundraise to...
23/01/2026

Fancy a wee night out? 🎷

We're so honoured to have the Kirkintilloch Brass Band playing a concert to help us fundraise towards our Carmen production! 💞

The band will be there in all their glory alongside the shining voices of Carole Irvine and Bobby Irvine, all under the baton of Martin Ramsay 😊

Join us on the 15th of February 6pm at the Salvation Army on Mill Street and let your hair down to some great tunes! If you'd like tickets just call or send a text to our concert manager on 07725368795 ✨

We can't wait! See you there! 🎶

Address

Paisley

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Paisley Opera posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to Paisley Opera:

Shortcuts

Share