Dramaturg:
The Railway Children
new opera premiered at GLYNDEBOURNE 30 oCTOBER 2025 with music by mark-anthony turnage & libretto by Rachael hewer.
In February 2021, following our collaboration on VOPERA’s award-winning L’Enfant et les Sortilege, Rachael Hewer and Mark-Anthony Turnage approached me about a new opera they had been writing in lockdown. With the majority of performing work still curtailed by the pandemic they were nevertheless keen to workshop the new piece. Together we sourced funding from a range of generous individuals and I produced a week-long socially distanced R&D at St John’s Smith Square and Henry Wood Hall.
Following that initial week, Mark and Rachael engaged me to continue working with them as dramaturg while they further developed the opera. The piece was subsequently formally commissioned by Glyndebourne. In September 2024, I joined a second development workshop week hosted by Glyndebourne ahead of their production in Autumn 2025, working closely with Rachael, Mark and Glyndebourne’s Artistic Director, Stephen Langridge, fine tuning the narrative arc of the piece.
Testimonial:
“During my many years of working in the classical music industry I've been lucky enough to work with a few exceptional people that just get it right. Tamzin is one of those people. She has a creative instinct that can't be taught or faked. I have the privilege of working with her as a dramaturg and producer – which is a role that is hard to get right. She is sensitive to the working relationship, she doesn't dominate or over-power and she has the ability to adapt and respond for the benefit of the piece and the rest of the team. My work is better for having Tamzin as part of the creative team – there's no other way of putting it. I am very pleased to be working with her in the future and look forward to more collaborations on new works in the coming years.”
– Mark-Anthony Turnage CBE | Composer
2021 R&D Company
Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage
Librettist Rachael Hewer
Conductor Ben Glasberg
Producer & Dramaturg Tamzin Aitken
Cast (in alphabetical order):
Alex Baker
Philippa Boyle
Edmund Danon
Joseph Doody
Edward Hawkins
Elizabeth Lynch
Beth Moxon
Jennifer Witton
Repetiteurs Kate Golla & Jon Brigg
Recording Engineer Jan Capinski
2024 R&D Company
Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage
Librettist Rachael Hewer
Conductor Jonathan Berman
Dramaturg Tamzin Aitken
Producer Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Cast (in order of appearance):
David / Mr Tarpolski Edward Hawkins
Cathy Elizabeth Lynch
Yolanda Beth Moxon
Bobbie Jennifer Witton
Peter Joseph Doody
Phyllis Philippa Boyle
Mr Perks Joshua Owen Mills
Tommy Crawshaw Edmund Danon
Repetiteurs Kate Golla & Harry Rylance
Librettist Rachael Hewer and Composer Mark-Anthony Turnage at Glyndebourne workshop week, September 2024. (Photo credit: Pablo Strong)
Socially distanced R&D at St John's Smith Square, February 2021
Socially distanced R&D at Henry Wood Hall, February 2021
Jessica Cale (Bobbie), Matthew McKinney (Peter) and Henna Mun (Phyllis) in rehearsals for Glyndebourne's world premiere production, Oct 2025. (Photo credit: Richard Hubert Smith)
Rachael Lloyd (Cathy) and Edward Hawkins (David) in rehearsal at Glyndebourne, Oct 2025. (Photo credit: Richard Hubert Smith)
Members of the Glyndebourne Chorus in rehearsal, October 2025. (Photo credit: Richard Hubert Smith)