Caroline is currently working on the libretto of a new opera with composer Rania Chrysostomou.
From 2011 – 2025 main focus of Caroline’s writing was libretti for Cambridge Youth Opera and training young librettists to produce work for CYO. CYO libretti are copyright and available on request.
Performed by Cambridge Youth Opera in 2013 and the Byre Opera in 2019.
The Magic Flute
A new translation for performance by young people. The libretto remained closed to the original, while addresssing and removing racism and sexism. The language was colloquial, and developed in consultation with the cast, aged 11 – 19.
Performed by Cambridge Youth Opera in 2017
Daphnis and Chloe
A complete rewrite of the original libretto of Offenbach’s silly romp for performance by teenagers, changing the setting and rewriting as a witty, feminist piece, while ensuring a large number of performance opportunities for ages 14 – 19.
Performed by Cambridge Youth Opera in 2019
Making Magic
A loose weaving together of existing pieces for a fundraiser performance and introduction to Hansel and Gretel. The work created a journey of pieces from existing magical operas from day to night and back to day again. Caroline translated and adapted words for pieces by Rimsky Korsakoff, Weber, Mozart and Humperdinck.
Hansel and Gretel
A new translation and adaptation of the Singspiel version with fresh colloquial dialogue. Caroline adapted the work to include more choruses and ensembles, to maximise the opportunities for performance by a young cast aged 11 – 19.
The performances were cancelled because of COVID. .
Training young writers
Digital Opera Making Workshops
As part of CYO’s first lockdown project, Caroline ran workshops with composer Russell Hepplewhite on how to create an opera from scratch. The techniques learned were put into practice in work produced by the young people in the course of the workshops and then fully developed in The Little Black Cat.
The Little Black Cat
“You gave me the courage to try things I might never otherwise have done. The Little Black Cat showed me that I could be a writer“
Caroline worked with young librettists who wrote the words for CYO’s first opera entirely by young people. They learned to build the architecture of a small opera, while exploring their creativity and producing an exceptional libretto, much loved by the cast and audiences.
The young writers had the opportunity to interact with archaeological finds in the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge.
Footprints through time
In 2025 Caroline has been training a group of young writers aged 13 – 17 who have been working on a story and libretto based on the Trumpington Bed Burial. Over a series of eight workshops, the young writers created a moving ghost story, weaving together the past and present and writing a libretto which reflects their lives and local region.
Caroline Coetzee 