And The Stars Were Shining

by Gnome Ignominious

CABIN PRESSURE AU: Douglas is a baritone singing for MON, a small but reputable opera company run by Carolyn, a retired soprano. Arthur sings in the chorus and plays the occasional bit part. Their first opera of the season is Tosca and Carolyn decides to hire a new, permanent tenor, who will debut in the role of Cavaradossi. Enter Martin Crieff, stage left.

2. Chapter 2

Martin awoke with a start from a particularly unpleasant dream in which he'd turned up to his first rehearsal at MON and somehow completely forgotten what opera they were performing and which part he was meant to be singing. It had ended with the rather terrifying owner Carolyn Knapp-Shappey shouting at him while suspiciously green flamingos danced a can-can on the stage behind her. Martin swallowed hard and put the dream out of his mind. He was Martin Crieff, lead tenor at MON, about to embark on the most prestigious role in his career so far: Cavaradossi in Tosca.

He got out of bed and went through the motions of showering and getting dressed. His throat was horribly dry with nerves and he tentatively started his warm up routine, trying not to get too loud. He lived in a shared house with three students who tended to get annoyed with him belting arias at all hours of the day and night. Martin hoped there would be somewhere he could warm up a little better when he got to the theatre. He checked the time and decided to get going. It would take him half an hour to walk to the theatre and he wanted to be as early as possible. He wrapped his warmest scarf around his neck to stave off the wintry air and set off, thinking over all that he knew about MON in an attempt to block out the nerves that plagued him whenever he started a new part.

In preparation for his audition Martin had practically devoured the internet looking for information about MON. He'd found out that it had its roots in a small opera and theatre company called The Great East Riding Theatre Incentive, started in Yorkshire in the 1980s by Carolyn Knapp-Shappey and her then-husband Gordon Shappey, she just retiring from the operatic stage, he trying to make his way as a theatre director. Their relationship had apparently ended rather acrimoniously and Carolyn had taken over the company, moving it down to London and renaming it MON, with her son Arthur as principal tenor. Martin had been shocked and deeply impressed when he read the list of singers currently with the company- top of the bill was Douglas Richardson, once star of the baritone scene with ENO.

Martin was of course aware of what had subsequently happened and was torn. He had been so excited to audition for MON- it sounded like an amazing company to work for: small, friendly and yet adventurous, without the high profile pressure of performing with one of the big companies. But the chance of working with Douglas Richardson- even his name sounded impressive, Martin thought- he didn't know if he could take it. What if he auditioned but failed? Could he live with the disappointment? Even worse- what if he auditioned and was successful? Martin half thought he would faint if he met Douglas, let alone sang with him.

Of course, in the end, his common sense had won out and he had auditioned, his eyes practically falling out of his head when he read the acceptance email. It had been a tense two weeks of phone calls, emails and lunch meetings with the musical director, the head of casting and the PR staff and finally Carolyn Knapp-Shappey herself before it was confirmed that he would taking the position of principal tenor at MON and his first role would be Cavaradossi in Tosca. Martin grinned inwardly, even though his body was a bundle of nerves. He loved to sing and he knew once he got into the rehearsal room he would be fine. He checked his watch as he crossed the road outside the theatre and went round to the stage door. He had forty five minutes spare.

He took a deep, calming breath and made his way inside.