Deborah Wai Kapohe and Wayne Morris are on a mission.
They want to bring opera to the ordinary people of Wanganui, and to that end they are staging two chamber operas at the War Memorial Hall in early February.
The pair, under the name Opera Worx, will be staging The Telephone, by Gian-Carlo Menotti, and The Human Voice, by Francis Poulenc. The productions are on February 6 and 7.
"People tend to think of opera as being huge, lavish productions that they can't really understand," Mr Morris said.
"Chamber operas are smaller in scale and they're more affordable to stage, so more affordable for the audience."
Mr Morris returned to Wanganui for family reasons last year after spending 25 years singing and directing opera in London. He met Ms Wai Kapohe through mutual friends, and it was during their very first conversation that the idea of producing a chamber opera came up.
The pair believe opera can bring a community together. Ms Wai Kapohe said they have had a huge amount of support from the local community.
"It's really been very collaborative. The Wanganui Floral Society is helping us with flowers, Amdram with costumes and the Royal Wanganui Opera House with lighting. It's been amazing."
The opera is funded by Creative Communities.
Formal rehearsals - under the direction of Mr Morris - began last week, but they have both been rehearsing over the summer break.
Ms Wai Kapohe said she was currently rehearsing around four hours a day.
They hope chamber opera will become a regular feature in Wanganui.
"It can be staged anywhere, as long as there's access to a piano or keyboard," Mr Morris said.
The Telephone is a comedy while The Human Voice is more serious. The production will last approximately an hour.
"It's not long enough for people to get bored," Mr Morris said.
- Tickets are available at the door, at the i-Site, or through www.eventfinder.co.nz. Adults $35, concessions $25.