'One of the proudest moments in our 65 years': Belfast Operatic Company singers show Prince William and Princess Kate their stuff at the Royal Variety Performance
Singers from a Belfast amateur dramatics company had “one of their proudest moments to date” putting on a right royal showstopper – and taking to the nation’s screens.
Members of the Belfast Operatic Company, which for 65 years has wowed crowds across Ulster performing big-name musicals from Gilbert and Sullivan to Sister Act, appeared in front of Prince William and Princess Kate at the Royal Variety Performance.
Televised last night, the massive annual event saw the Northern Irish troupe take to the stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall to perform numbers from ‘Les Miserables’ – which this year celebrates its 40th anniversary.
They joined performers from superstars to unknowns, all of whom had appeared in productions big and small of the musical, to show their stuff to the assembled crowd, with the UK’s future king and queen watching on.
The company’s Naomi Smyth, who portrayed passionate yet ultimately tragic young woman Fantine in the show, described the Royal Albert Hall experience as “iconic”.
“Standing on that stage felt surreal,” she said. “Representing Belfast and local amateur theatre on such a huge platform filled me with pride. The talent coming from this little island is extraordinary.”
Dessie Havlin, who shared the role of crooked innkeeper turned thief Thenardier, said performing alongside West End legends was a career-defining moment.
He said: “Singing ‘One Day More’ in a sold-out Royal Albert Hall with Michael Ball and hundreds of performers is something I’ll never be able to put into words. It reignited my love for what amateur theatre can achieve.”
For the operatic company, it was a doubly notable celebration, as this year they became the first amateur organisation to be granted permission to mount a show of ‘Les Miserables’ while it’s still on in London’s West End.
They were the opening salvo of the UK-wide “Let The People Sing” initiative, which saw 11 amateur companies across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland lead community-wide productions of the hit musical.
For Greg Fox, who took on the role of Monsieur Thenardier in the Belfast production of Les Mis, the journey culminating in the Royal LAbert Hall has been unforgettable.
“I stepped on stage knowing I was the first amateur in the world to perform ‘Les Miserables’ in that way,” he said. “Everything that followed, sold-out houses, the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Variety Performance is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
But the company isn’t resting on its laurels; having earned the royal seal of approval, they’re eagerly preparing their next show, which sees them shift from riot-torn 1830s Paris to the fast-talking gamblers and hustlers of mid-20th century New York.
‘Guys And Dolls’, a light-hearted comedy famously adapted into a hit 1955 movie with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando, is certainly a swerve from the heavy material of their recent performances.
“It’s a show about fun, colour and comedy, and nobody dies,” Naomi Smyth laughed. “After Les Mis, that’s a welcome change.”
‘Guys And Dolls’ runs at the Grand Opera House, Belfast, in May 2026. Tickets are on sale now via www.goh.co.uk