About
Louise Bakker is a stage director across opera, theatre and musicals. She is Dutch but London-born, and studied Drama with English at Manchester University.
She is currently Assistant Director on Simon Stone's production of Kaija Saariaho's opera Innocence for the Royal Opera House. This summer she will assist Martin Lloyd-Evans on the Grange Festival's production of Cosi fan tutte, and will act as Associate Director to Stephen Barlow on Opera Holland Park's production of Jonathan Dove's new opera Itch. She will also direct Brent Opera's production of Lucia di Lammermoor. In Autumn 2023, she will be returning to the Royal Academy of Music to direct scenes with their opera students.
Past directing credits include: The Rake's Progress (Aylesbury Opera), Orpheus in the Underworld (Royal College of Music), Saul (Richmond Opera), Mozart & Salieri/Suor Angelica (Rose Opera), Jenufa (Aylesbury Opera), The Dragon of Wantley (Richmond Opera), A Stroke of Luck (Limelight Theatre), Royal College of Music Opera Scenes, Royal Academy of Music Opera Scenes, Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci (Aylesbury Opera), Shaw Goes Wilde (Pegasus Opera), Edith & Marguerite (Hen & Chickens Theatre), Assassins (Pleasance Theatre), Pravda (Bridewell Theatre), Virtue Reality (Southwark Playhouse), Waiting Room (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Iranian Nights (John Thaw Studio Theatre) and Six Degrees of Separation (Edinburgh Festival).
Associate Directing credits include Die Zauberflöte (Polly Graham/Royal College of Music) which is available to view here.
Assistant Directing credits include La Descente d'Orphée aux Enfers (Jeanne Pansard-Besson), Margot la Rouge/Le Villi (Martin Lloyd-Evans/Opera Holland Park), Tamerlano (Daniel Slater/The Grange Festival), The Cunning Little Vixen (Stephen Barlow/Opera Holland Park), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Christopher Luscombe/Royal Academy of Music), Falstaff (Christopher Luscombe/The Grange Festival), The Enchanted Island (Stuart Barker/Peacock Theatre), Jette Parker Young Artist Summer Performance (Noa Naamat/Royal Opera House), The School of Jealousy (Jeremy Gray/Bampton Classical Opera), Kát’a Kabanová (Olivia Fuchs/Opera Holland Park), The Braille Legacy (Thom Southerland/Charing Cross Theatre), National Opera Studio Scenes (Emma Jenkins/Welsh National Opera) and The Color Purple (Cadogan Hall).
She works extensively with the Royal Opera House’s Learning & Participation Department and Youth Opera Company, as well as Blackheath Halls children's choir and the Acting Gymnasium. She presents ROH's online learning materials on how to be a director, how to create a character, how to tell a story, how to stage a scene and how to use drama games to direct your class. She also presents the videos for their Hansel & Gretel "Create & Sing" module.
Louise has considerable performing experience as an actress, singer and voiceover artist. She studied singing at Junior Guildhall, and has sung with Manchester University's Chamber Choir Ad Solem under Marcus Farnsworth, OJ Ruthven and Matthew Hamilton, and for the New London Children's Choir under Ronald Corp.
Roles include: Claudia (Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens, Charing Cross Theatre 2016); Gretchen (Boeing Boeing, Bridewell Theatre 2014); Lindy (House & Garden, Bridewell Theatre 2012); Miss Julie (Miss Julie, Strindberg/McGuinness, Teatro Technis 2011); Nora (A Doll’s House, Bridewell Theatre 2011); Lorna (Cigarettes & Chocolate, Teatro Technis 2010); Noleta (Sordid Lives, Edinburgh Festival 2009); Martha (The Constant Wife, Bridewell Theatre 2009); Carol (Oleanna, Theatro Technis 2008); Marlow (She Stoops to Conquer, Landor Theatre 2007); Yvonne/Harriet Pawling, Sunday in the Park with George, Manchester University 2007); Marcia (Mouthful of Birds, Manchester University 2007); Bernada Alba (The House of Bernada Alba, Manchester University 2006); Ouisa (Six Degrees of Separation, Edinburgh Festival 2006); Charlotte (Party Time, Manchester University 2006); Marquise de Merteuil (Dangerous Liaisons, Manchester University 2006); Dana (The Sweetest Swing in Baseball, Manchester University 2005 Winner: Best Actress Award); Mrs Higgins (My Fair Lady, Manchester University 2004); Flora (The Turn of the Screw, Teatro Regio, Turin, 1995)
