Rebecca Rashleigh

Is Zerlina as innocent as she first appears?

She's a bit cheeky, but I wouldn't think of her as sinful or a seductress. She's a typical village girl who is practical and knows how to wrap her fiancé around her finger.

What makes her essential to the story?

She allows the audience to see how Don Giovanni works his craft. With the other ladies, all their encounters happened in the past or off stage. She also brings a point of difference — she's a commoner in a world of nobility.

Suzanne has described these women as "unlikely sisterhoods" — what does that mean to you in terms of how Zerlina relates to Donna Anna and Donna Elvira?

A sense of Community, shared trauma and the strength in her resilience to pick yourself back up.

How would you describe her relationship with Masetto?

She genuinely loves him and he is her best friend. But I think she's more of a romantic, and maybe there's a part of her that Masetto doesn't get, which is why she's drawn to Don Giovanni.

What do you want audiences to understand about Zerlina by the end of the night?

That she has a big heart and cares deeply for Masetto, despite how things start off. Also that she is one hell of a resilient powerhouse. I mean, she ends Act 1 being sexually assaulted by Don Giovanni and then comes into Act 2 acting like nothing has happened. In fact, she ends up seeking revenge for what he did to Masetto, not herself.

You came through the Richard Divall Emerging Artists Program with Melbourne Opera — what did that experience mean for your development as a singer, and what does it feel like to return to the company in a role like Zerlina?

Getting the opportunity for ongoing work with an opera company and in providing consistent vocal coachings. During the program I was also able to get language lessons, cover roles and even perform small roles with my largest being Marzelline in Fidelio. Coming back to perform Zerlina has been really lovely and a kind of full circle moment.

Describe Zerlina in three words.

Playful, Resilient, Rational.