Schools Opera - ‘Dirty Beasts’

(2026)

Writer - Roald Dahl

Director - Sarah Crisp

Costume designer - Nancy Tait

Set designer - Martha Ma

Costume assistants - Nancy Chappele-Hale, Ethan Joseph, Daisy Braithwaite Muriel and Jaime Murphy-Coles

Photographer - Lydia Wilson and Nancy Tait

‘Dirty Beasts’ is a collection of short stories written by Roald Dahl about scary animals, some getting their own back on irritating humans. The concept for the show was that these are bed time stories coming to life, each one with it’s own aesthetic and like all the costumes were pulled from a dressing up box. The cast all started off in pyjamas and gradually revealed their other costumes so by the end the stage was full of colour and chaos. Schools Opera is a touring production that goes around Primary schools and community spaces so everything had to be packed up in a van to take on the road!