pOpera

Community opera after Romeo and Juliet

Fondation EME / Philharmonie Luxembourg2026Devising & Stage Director
ParticipateCommunity operaParticipatoryRomeo and Juliet
Anisha Bondy raises her arm at a rehearsal, a sheet of paper in her hand, in front of an orange wall.

pOpera

Community opera after Romeo and Juliet

Fondation EME / Philharmonie Luxembourg2026Devising & Stage Director
ParticipateCommunity operaParticipatoryRomeo and Juliet

pOpera brings Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to the opera stage as a community project: children and adults from Luxembourg rehearse and perform alongside professional musicians, turning the audience into participants rather than spectators.

The project is produced by the Fondation EME together with the Philharmonie Luxembourg.

Role

Devising & Stage Director

Dates

  • Premiere 23 April 2026, Philharmonie Luxembourg (Grand Auditorium)
  • School performance 24 April 2026

Credits

  • Music — Tim Wollmann
  • Text — Antoine Pohu
  • Concept & Artistic Director — Paulo Lameiro
  • Devising & Stage Director — Anisha Bondy
  • Co-Director & Choreography — Mariana Souza
  • Set & costumes — Anne Hölzinger
  • Musical Director — Ivan Boumans
  • Choir Director — Julie Colin, Pit Heyart
  • Orchestra — Luxembourg Philharmonic
  • Cast — Stephany Ortega (Juliet), Johannes Bamberger (Romeo), Fredrika Brillembourg (Pigeon Lady), Tijl Faveyts (Housekeeper), children as Princess, Participant Choir, Pueri Cantores du Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg, choir of the CLI Adam Roberti school

Photos

  • Laurent Sturm
  • Sébastien Grebille

Playing loads content from YouTube/Vimeo and transmits data to them.

The whole community on stage – children, young people and adults – waving colourful flags.

01. Together on stage

Laurent Sturm

Performers crowd cheerfully into a wood-panelled corridor backstage.
Children in green hoodies and adults make their way to the stage.
A woman with headphones and a microphone laughs in the blue light of the wings.

02. Backstage

Laurent Sturm

Children on stage throw their arms in the air, waving small yellow flags.

03. Rehearsals

Laurent Sturm

Anisha Bondy rehearses with a large choir of participants of all ages.

04. The Participant Choir

Laurent Sturm

Young people in caps and sports shirts sit together on concrete steps.
Performers dance on two balconies of the set, a disco ball above them.
Two people with microphones speak from the stage.

05. Scenes

Laurent Sturm · Sébastien Grebille

View over the shoulders of the audience to the performers on the balconies of the red set.

06. Performance

Laurent Sturm

The packed Grand Auditorium of the Philharmonie Luxembourg.

07. Audience

Laurent Sturm

Costumed participants move through the audience along a red barrier.

08. In the midst of the audience

Laurent Sturm