Set in the Bohemian social, sexual and creative milieu of early 1900s Paris, this all-female version of Verdis classic La traviata re-examines the tragic tale of true love set against class, duty and respectability, in the context of maternal and LGBT+ relationships. Like the well-known writers and society figures from this period - Mathilde de Morny, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette and Natalie Barney - Alfredo presents and woos Violetta in a masculine persona, yet offers much more than her usual male suitors.
In 2014, Secret Opera began its gender in opera project with the re-imagining of Bizets Carmen as an all-male version: carMen, set in the gay community of liberal 1920s Spain. This year, a reworking of La Traviata, named The Trousered Traviata, has been developed. In this production, while Verdis music remains unaltered, the key roles are female. Both these alternative versions have provided a platform to examine the traditional themes of love, guilt, filial duty and sacrifice in the context of LGBT+ relationships.
Secret Opera has a tradition of performing chamber versions of grand operas: each opera can be performed with 4 - 7 singers which allows intensive focus on each characters raw emotions and relationships.