Glynis Leyshon, Director

Pacific Opera Victoria
Director, The Rake's Progress
November, 2009

Glynis Leyshon has enjoyed a long and creatively fulfilling relationship with Pacific Opera Victoria, directing close to 20 new productions, beginning with The Barber of Seville in 1980. She returned to direct The Abduction from the Seraglio (1981); Die Fledermaus (1982); Amahl and the Night Visitors (1983); La Bohème (1986); Lucia di Lammermoor (1987); The Pirates of Penzance (1990); Madama Butterfly (1991); A Midsummer Night's Dream (1993); The Merry Widow (1993); Macbeth (1995); The Turn of the Screw (1997); Don Giovanni (1999); a rare revival of Vittorio Giannini's The Taming of the Shrew (2001); and Eugene Onegin (2005). In 2007 she directed for the second time a POV production of Don Giovanni. In April 2008 she directed the Canadian premiere of Marc Blitzstein's Regina, and she returned in April 2009 to direct The Magic Flute. In November 2009 she directs the company premiere of Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress

Glynis Leyshon is one of Canada's most respected opera and theatre directors. In addition to Pacific Opera Victoria's The Magic Flute for performances in Victoria and London, her 2008-9 schedule included Rigoletto for Vancouver Opera. Her operatic credits also include Cenerentola, Rigoletto, The Merry Widow and The Tales of Hoffmann for Calgary Opera; Salome, Madama Butterfly, and Rigoletto for Vancouver Opera; Trial by Jury for Edmonton Opera; Falstaff for Opera Lyra, Ottawa and several productions for Pierrette Alarie and Leopold Simoneau's prestigious training company Opera Piccola. From 2002 to 2004, Ms. Leyshon was Head of the Opera as Theatre Programme at The Banff Centre where she mounted original opera programmes, created by renowned opera librettist John Murrell, focusing on operatic works based on the plays of Shakespeare.

While the majority of this operatic work has been in the traditional repertoire, Ms. Leyshon's experience as a dramaturge and director of new theatre work has led her to develop and direct a number of new opera productions including Game Misconduct by Leslie Uyeda and librettist Tom Cone, which had a successful premier at Festival Vancouver in 2000. She has also been invited to workshop a number of contemporary pieces at The Banff Centre under Keith Turnbull.

Ms Leyshon was Artistic Director of the Playhouse Theatre Company from 1997 to 2008. There she directed a wide range of work, including a Jessie award-winning production of Equus, Copenhagen with Tony award winner Brent Carver, A Little Night Music, Mrs. Warren's Profession (co-production with The Citadel Theatre, Edmonton), The Beauty Queen of Lenane (co-production with the National Arts Centre) and Wit (co-production with Canadian Stage, Toronto).

Before joining the Playhouse, Ms. Leyshon served as Artistic Director of the Belfry Theatre in Victoria for 11 seasons. During her tenure she directed over 25 productions, including national tours of The Ballad of Phil Ochs and was instrumental in heading a capital campaign that allowed the theatre to purchase and renovate a landmark heritage building.

Ms. Leyshon has also been invited to direct for theatre companies across the country, including the hugely successful Gershwin musical Lady Be Good and the rarely mounted Sullivan musical The Zoo for the Shaw Festival. Other theatrical works include the Chalmers award-winning The Hope Slide at the Tarragon Theatre, The Taming of the Shrew at Vancouver's International Shakespeare Festival Bard on the Beach, Vigil for Theatre Calgary, and the world premières of Warriors by Michel Garneau and Moo by Sally Clark at the international ATP Playrites Theatre Festival. In June 2008 she premiered a new play Where the Blood Mixes at Luminato, Toronto's Festival of Arts and Creativity and at the Magnetic North Festival in Vancouver.

Ms. Leyshon has a particular passion for working with and teaching young and emerging artists and is the recipient of Canada's Commonwealth Medal for her contributions to the arts. She has conducted master classes for opera training programmes in Calgary, Victoria, Courtenay, and Banff. In addition to this work, she has also conducted courses at the University of Victoria, William Head Penitentiary, the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and the University of British Columbia, where she serves as an Adjunct Professor.

A recipient of the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, she will be directing extensively next season, including a national tour of Where the Blood Mixes by Kevin Loring, starting at Victoria's Belfry Theatre in January, 2010.