Taylor Wallbank in Festival Opera's The Magic Flute on Napier Municipal Theatre stage

Taylor Wallbank will be taking on the lead role of Monostatos in The Magic Flute.

Festival Opera is ready to transport you to an enchanting world this summer with their highly anticipated season of The Magic Flute!

We sat down with the company's cast to discuss life onstage and this iconic melodic fairytale by W A Mozart. This week we check out Taylor Wallbank, one of our rising young artists and a Project Prima Volta graduate who will be taking on the lead role of Monostatos.

Who has been your most favourite character to perform and why?

Alfredo from La traviata in the opera scenes I performed in at the University of Waikato was very enjoyable. The music is just so satisfying to sing and the emotion and dynamic contrast by such a young but passionate character is a joy to try to portray on stage.

Where has been your favourite stage to perform on and why?

The Blyth Performing Arts Center at Iona, where I performed Messiah, was an amazing stage to perform on. The facilities were very modern and aesthetically pleasing and also the acoustics in the main theater is most likely one of the best in the southern hemisphere.

Tell us about the role you are playing in Festival Opera's the Magic Flute?

The role I am preparing right now as Monostatos is considerably challenging. The music is difficult because it is very fast and the German language is very difficult at the current tempo. So it almost feels as if I am beatboxing with the amount of consonants I have to spit out to make the text understandable.

In terms of Monostatos as a character it is very difficult to portray someone who is very vile towards women, and to also display humanistic traits and deeper feelings for Pamina who he so dearly loves but doesn't know how to approach her in an appropriate way.

Somehow trying to get across is a hard balance and vocally demanding as a performer to elicit the required emotional changes he goes through.

What do you think people would be most surprised to learn about opera?

The most surprising thing in opera is how it is so relatable. Even now in the days we are living in. It's so interesting an opera that was composed in early 1900s or mid to late 1800s can transcend through time 'till now and still be applicable.

Opera I feel is the epitome of being human. It shows us the highs and lows and the comedy of it all but it can also be incredibly dramatic and shocking at the same time and the music helps to facilitate that.

■ Don't miss the return of live opera this February 15-21 at the Napier Municipal Theatre in conjunction with Art Deco Weekend! Book now via Ticketek.co.nz