The Never­beast

A new Snappy Opera co-commissioned by Mahogany Opera & Dunedin Consort

Snaggers snatch, Sweepers catch. Snouchers count, share it out. Don’t stop, work hard; beast eats, we starve. Mountain low, summit high, live apart, we survive…

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...

This brand new Snappy Opera is a Mahogany Opera co-commission with Dunedin Consort. This new co-commission draws together the priorities and expertise of both Mahogany Opera and Dunedin Consort, creating a brand-new piece to join the Snappy Operas canon which draws inspiration from Baroque music in a fun, exciting way. Working with children from Kildrum Primary School in Cumbernauld, the creative team are developed the piece from the children's own ideas. The Neverbeast was shared as part of a special performance at Kildrum Primary School in June 2025, and will be presented publicly as part of the Snappy Opera Festival in 2026.