ORIGINAL WORKS

Spoken operas exploring the boundary between speech and song, where spoken text becomes music.

One a Lot (2026)

“And then one day the sky went orange. Beautiful color. I love burnt orange… but in an interior design kinda way. Preferably not in the sky.”

One a Lot is an apocalyptic drama about a lone survivor who finds herself in a concrete basement, recounting how she watched the world burn. With her voice, she builds a universe of loops and songs: a sonic end of days.

One a Lot - a spoken opera of a world on fire, premiered in 2026 at Kantine Walhalla in Rotterdam during O. Festival, followed by performances at Amsterdam Fringe Festival at Frascati Amsterdam

Behind the Scenes: on creating One a Lot for O. Festival

Performance, text, composition: Amanda Payne | Final direction: Esmée Begemann | Costume design and scenography: Caz Egelie, Hildur Elísa | Lighting design: Erik van de Wijdeven | Sound design: David Schwarz | Sound technician: Constantijn Houtkamp | Poster image: Elena Štrok | Photography: Derk Stenvers, Jaap Kroon | In co-production with: O. Festival for Opera. Music. Theatre., Club Gewalt | Supported by: NORMA Fonds, Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst, Gemeente Den Haag, Gemeente Rotterdam.

Two Across (2024)

‘No time for real stuff. A deep breath or real touch. Cuss you can’t get enough of the rush.’

A spoken opera about watching and being watched. Set in a dimly-lit living room looking out over an apartment building on the opposite side of the street.

A dialogue that unfolds like an unfinished melody. Words and phrases repeat, forming rhythmic patterns that echo techno beats or pop melodies, yet never fully complete. Driven less by meaning and more by the sound of the words these rhythms overlap and intertwine into a textured sonic tapestry.

Two Across premiered in April 2024 at Das Leben am Haverkamp during Rewire Festival, followed by performances at O. Festival (2024 & 2025) and various other venues.

Text, composition: Amanda Payne | Performance: Sabine Pendry, Amanda Payne | Costume design and scenography: Caz Egelie, Hildur Elísa | Poster image, trailer: Elena Štrok | Photography: Elena Štrok, Liam McCall | Supported by: Gemeente Rotterdam, Amarte Fonds.

© Cargo

Amanda Payne (2025)