SOPRANO Helena Leonard returns to her home town of Northwich with the story of an outstanding singing talent whose career chimes with her own.

Next month the acclaimed singer will perform in The Nightingale of the South Bank, a show which brings legendary English opera singer Florence Easton back to life.

“I’m incredibly excited to be performing as Florence, she’s become something of a hero to me,” said Helena who runs Little Pixie Productions with her two sisters, Rebecca Little and Vicky Sklar.

Florence was one of the best opera singers of the 20th century, and almost 100 years ago she became the first soprano ever to play Lauretta and sing the famous aria O Mio Babbino Caro in the world premiere of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi.

In the show, Helena plays Florence on that famous night, December 14, 1918. As she sits in her dressing room at New York’s Metropolitan Opera waiting to go on stage, Florence reflects upon her career and performs some of her famous arias from operas including Madame Butterfly, Aida, and Tosca.

“Rebecca and I first devised this show in January 2012,” explains Helena.

“We were looking for an idea that would allow me to showcase my vocal range. We stumbled across Florence’s story while doing research, and I absolutely related to her – there were a lot of parallels to her story and mine.”

Since its first incarnation the story has been redeveloped to celebrate the centenary of Florence’s Gianni Schicchi premiere, and has even had input from some of her relatives in Canada.

“We’ve spoken to her granddaughter Kathleen and great grandson Ken who’ve been able to confirm lots of the anecdotes and information that we’ve read online,” says Helena.

Like Florence, Helena knew from a young age that she wanted to be a singer and her career began at a young age. Unlike Florence, she was lucky to have the support of her parents Pauline and the late Leonard Little, owners of Castle’s LJ Little Dancewear.

She went to Hartford High School and Sir John Deane’s college and went to study at London’s Trinity College of Music, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before going on to advanced studies at the National Opera Studio. Her professional debut came with English National Opera and she’s performed with scores of other companies including Scottish Opera and the Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra.

“I absolutely love singing and I feel very privileged to have been able enjoy a career in the arts and to be able to devise my own productions,” says Helena.

However, Helena admits that it’s not without its difficulties. Arts funding is scarce, and there is a perception that opera is an elitist art form. Which is why she and her sisters create shows that fuse opera with other genres that include storytelling, movement and dance, original music and song from musical theatre.

“We’re dedicated to removing the barriers surrounding classical music genres, making them accessible to all ages with the quality expected from this art form,” she said.

“It can be challenging and some days you wonder why you’re doing it when, as any self-employed person does. But it’s all about the love of performing, of collaborating with creative people, and constantly learning. The day I give up will be the day that I become complacent, there’s always something to work towards, something new to learn or try.”

The show opens at Northwich Memorial Court on Friday, November 16 and will take in nine more dates, including one at Middlesbrough Town Hall on December 7, almost 100 years since Florence’s pioneering performance at the Metropolitan Opera.

Tickets for the Northwich show are priced between £10 and £16 and can be booked through www.ticketsource.co.uk/brioleisure or by calling 01606 261100