Roberta
was born and educated in West Bromwich in the English Midlands.
Studying clarinet and cello at school, she played Katisha in the school
production of Mikado, her introduction to G&S.
On completing her singing studies at the Royal College of Music,
London, she joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1972 and remained
until the closure in 1982. She toured twice in North America and was
part of the unique tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1979. During
her time with the company she took part in a Royal Command performance
of H.M.S. Pinafore at Windsor Castle and filmed the part of Peep-Bo in
the award-winning movie, Chariots Of Fire.
Following the D'Oyly Carte's demise, Roberta worked as a freelance
singer and actress, performing in numerous television programmes, as
well as appearing in concerts with The Magic Of Gilbert And
Sullivan. She was also Consultant Examination Assessor for
The Birmingham School Of Speech And Drama.
In 1985 she started her career as a Stage Director with a production of
H.M.S. Pinafore. Since then she has directed over 80 operettas and
musicals, both in the UK and the USA, where her skills in teaching both
stage and dialogue techniques is renowned. At the Buxton Festival she
has directed such D'Oyly Carte legends as Valerie Masterson, Gillian
Knight and Kenneth Sandford.
In 1999 Roberta wrote the acclaimed biography of her D'Oyly Carte
colleague, Kenneth Sandford, entitled Merely
Corroborative Detail. In 2001 she wrote her first novel, Vengeance
Dire, a classic murder story revolving around the activities
of an amateur G&S troupe performing The Pirates of Penzance. It
has attracted excellent reviews, which have spurred her on to a sequel,
Buried Alive, now being written as
part of a series of 'Savoy Murders'.
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| Training: |
 Birmingham
School of Music - Birmingham, England
Royal
College of Music - London, England
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| Roberta's GSSCC Connection:
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Conducted
Master Class Workshops, - 1999-2003
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| Roberta's D'Oyly Carte Roles:
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Peep-Bo, The
Mikado - 1978-1982
Cousin
Hebe, HMS Pinafore - 1978-1982 *
Kate,
The Pirates of Penzance - 1978-1982
Inez,
The Gondoliers - 1978-1982
*
= Roberta's favorite role
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| Roberta's Personal Remarks:
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The works of Gilbert and Sullivan are a prized possession belonging to
us all. Sullivan's music is well-loved and familiar, but Gilbert's
characters and their dialogue are all too often neglected. They should
be given as much consideration and nurture as the music in the
preparation of a production if the great duo's work is to prosper for
another century.
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