David "I loathe Traviata" McVicar, interviewed in today's Scotsman, judiciously backpedals on the eve of unveiling his new production of, er, Traviata for Scottish Opera.
Concerned that "It is perfectly possible to see a production of La Traviata where the audience have absolutely no idea what the story is about", he's aiming for a more explicit portrayal of its demi-monde setting. So he's made a study of the story's inspiration, Alphonsine Duplessis, and legendary 19th century courtesans like Cora Pearl and La Paiva.
Only Northern Britain merits this meticulousness though: "I would never have accepted at a big American house or Covent Garden because you just wouldn't get the cast to rehearse. They would just turn up with so many preconceptions." Oops?
