Peter Jones
Conductor & Chairman
Peter has been happily performing on both sides of the footlights since his teenage years. Favourite operatic roles include Ping (Turandot) and Mother (The Seven Deadly Sins) with Bristol Opera, Marcello (La Bohème) and Germont (La Traviata) with St Albans Operatic Society where he met his wife, Phyllida; they were both in the premiere of Farndale Mikado at the Abbey Theatre in which Phyllida played Katisha and Peter, rather disturbingly, was Petronella, the band’s lady tuba player! Peter has conducted many productions for Abbots Langley Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Irrational Theatre and St Albans Operatic Society. He has been involved with SACO for the past thirty years and directed our Spring 2023 production of The Magic Flute.
Having retired from the Chorus of the Royal Opera House in 2013, John has turned his love of music theatre, from performing, to directing. After a career in classical musical theatre, he relishes the opportunity to work in all music theatre genres.
A highlight with SACO was the chance to explore how Puccini's Tosca could be brought to the Abbey Theatre stage without all the grandiose sets and costumes associated with lavish professional productions. In 2018 John also wrote the narrative script for SACO’s highly successful concert evening, ‘An Evening with Mr. W S Gilbert & Mr. Arthur Sullivan'.
John Heath
Director &
Designer
Paula Chitty
Director &
Designer
Paula is a Freelance Director - Designer – Producer. She runs Irrational Theatre that specialises in the best of British opera, plays, music, librettists and composers. Since making a career change to stage directing and design in 2011 she has directed and designed both opera, plays and musical productions and performed them at The Park Theatre, Cockpit Theatre, Royal Albert Hall, Arcola Theatre, The Hope Theatre, Old Red Lion, Soho Theatre, The Kings Head Theatre, Upstairs at The Gatehouse, Highgate, Brockley Jack and The Arts Theatre, West End and on regional tour. She was an assistant director to Richard Jones at The Royal Opera House.