Norma - meet the cast - Steve Hawksley
Steve Hawksley takes the role of Oroveso, chief druid to his celtic people and father of Norma. Proud of his priestess daughter he is devastated when the truth about her secret life is discovered.
Steve has become a familiar figure to Heber Opera audiences in recent years. Most recently, he was devilishly compelling in the role of Mephistopheles in our production of Gounod’s Faust.
Previous operatic roles include: The Doctor (Imago) with Glyndebourne Community Opera; Basilio, Timur and the Baron (Tri-Opera) and Banco (Macbeth) with Southwick Opera; Uberto (La Serva Padrona) with Colla Voce; Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas) with Tichbourne Chorale and with Linden Opera; Zaccaria (Nabucco), Rocco (Fidelio), Belcore (Elixir of Love), Onegin (Eugene Onegin), Polyphemus (Acis and Galatea), Raimondo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Nourabad (Pearl Fishers) and Ferrando (Il Trovatore); all with Heber Opera.
Other solo appearances have featured in Requiems by Mozart, Brahms and Fauré, Beethoven's Mass in C, Schubert's Mass in G, Rossini's Messe Sollenelle and Puccini's Messa di Gloria.
Steve lives in Hassocks and whilst the demands of family life take precedence, he enjoys playing squash when everyone else has gone to bed. He says that chasing a small rubber ball around the court is a great way to expand the lungs, despite the impact on his knees.