The creative team behind The Neverbeast: (L‑R) Frederic Wake-Walker, Iona Ramsey, Stephen Deazley & Bethany Tennick
19/06/25
New Works | Snappy Operas | News
Introducing...The Neverbeast
Mahogany Opera's latest Snappy Opera receives its premiere performance
Wednesday 18th January 2025 saw the World Premiere of The Neverbeast - the latest addition to our ever expanding Snappy Operas canon. Composer Bethany Tennick and librettist Iona Ramsey developed the piece with children from Kildrum Primary School in Cumbernauld earlier this year, and have worked with the same children to prepare them for its first outing.
Using ideas from the children, The Neverbeast tells the story of a fractured community of very distinct characters that live on a mountainous island. The Snaggers are polar bear-like creatures that break the ice to catch fish. The Sweepers are bird-like creatures who carry the fish up the mountain. The Snouchers are rat-like creatures who count out the fish on top of the mountain. But, the Snouchers are deceiving the other other creatures, with stories of the fearsome Neverbeast who they insist also eats fish. In reality, they are taking more fish for themselves. They can’t eat all the fish at once though, so they throw them into a pit. After a while, the fish start to rot and smell. The Sweepers see this and tell the Snatchers, who device a plan to teach the Snouchers the error of their ways...
Pupils created their own props and posters for the performance.
Co-commissioned by Dunedin Consort, this is the first Snappy Opera to be developed in partnership with another professional performing arts organisation, and this has lead to a musically rich offering - drawing inspiration from the the world of Baroque music, as well as opera, musical theatre and folk.
The premiere performance was part of a special sharing day, celebrating Dunedin Consort's wider intensive residency at Kildrum Primary School. A full hall of school children and invited guests were treated to performances of traditional works by professional musicians from the Dunedin Consort and fun songs by the P4 & P6 classes, before the P5 class took to the stage to share what they had created, accompanied by a harpsichord, violin and viola de gamba.
P5 pupil Holly said...
I kind of felt special when we were writing it, because each bit of our imagination helped to build the opera up together.
Another P5 pupil, Emily, added...
It’s been really fun, and the people doing it really make you feel special.
This new Snappy Opera will now be performed by other schools across the UK as part of the Snappy Opera Festival in 2026.
