The Cape Town Opera 2026 programme was launched with a beguiling al fresco concert of Gershwin favourites at Maynardville Open Air Theatre on 15 February 2026. The company’s Artistic Director, Magdalene Minnaar (pictured left), shared some thoughts with BEVERLEY BROMMERT on this year’s forthcoming productions with her habitual enthusiasm:
Asked which of the works to be staged stands out for her, she responds, “It’s hard to choose just one, because all of them are special for different reasons, but I am really excited about Carmen, as it’s a quintessential part of the canon.” She expresses her delight at having secured the celebrated Steven Stead as director; his meticulous attention to detail and astute staging made CTO’s recent collaborative musicals, My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music, presented in association with Pieter Toerien Productions, triumphs of note. Add to this the return of diva Vuvu Mpofu as Micaela, and conducting by Tim Murray (an expert interpreter of French music, who enjoys a strong rapport with CTO) and Bizet’s masterpiece is likely to prove memorable.
On the subject of guest celebrities participating in the company’s 2026 productions, Minnaar is happy to welcome back innovative director Marí Borstlap as well as conductor Kamal Khan for CTO’s Roméo et Juliette in October. “Marí offers such multilayered, uniquely conceptual direction of well-known works (La Traviata being a recent case in point)…she brings a whole new perspective to them.” An endearing inclusion in the lineup is Janáček’s The cunning Little Vixen, a production for the whole family directed by dynamic Fiona du Plooy, with musical direction from CTO’s Jan Hugo – “So much more now than just a vocal coach and repétiteur,” comments Minnaar, no doubt recalling his stellar participation in The Barber of Seville at Theatre on the Bay last year that was directed by Sylvaine Strike.
Valued collaborations
When it comes to collaboration Minnaar chuckles, “that is my middle name!” Among valued collaborations in the pipeline is performing Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Vivaldi’s Gloria at Paarl’s Toringkerk in April with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, which she terms “our sister company.” They also join forces at the end of the year for the Christmas concert, O Holy Night. Most significant of all for Minnaar is a partnership with the British orchestra Chineke! when the South African production of Porgy and Bess (directed by herself) goes on tour overseas in September. “Having such an inclusive opera company alongside the Chineke! orchestra is something of which we’re extremely proud, and we look so forward to sharing such a wealth of exceptional operatic and musical talent with our European audiences.”
Finally, there is a definite thread uniting the very diverse productions to be staged by CTO this year, namely the central role of narrative. As Minnaar says, “… while the aesthetic language, musical idioms and staging approaches may vary widely, each production is anchored in the primacy of story: the shaping of character, conflict and emotional trajectory through music.”
One thing is certain: there is something to gratify a broad spectrum of taste in the array of productions from CTO once the new season gets under way.
What: Cape Town Opera 2026 programme
Read more: Next up for the company is Opera Blocks: Under the Sea, geared towards children aged 0-5 and presented at libraries across the Cape Town Metropole. While entry is free for all performances, advance registration is required via Webtickets
WS
