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John trained at the Northern School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music and then joined the Glyndebourne Festival Opera where roles included Ford in Falstaff, Marcello in La Boheme, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Seviglia and Masetto in Peter Hall's production of Don Giovanni. He made his Royal Opera House debut in 1979 as Schaunard in La Boheme and with the English National Opera in 1980 as Amonasro in Aida. He sang the title role in Rigoletto in Jonathan Miller's Little Italy production for ENO both here and on their 1984 tour of North America with performances at the New York Metropolitan Opera House, with subsequent performances in that production throughout the late1980's and into the 1990's.
John has performed at major opera houses in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Holland, Denmark, the Far East, the USA and Canada playing roles as diverse as Tonio in Pagliacci (La Scala Milan), Ezio in Attila, Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, Germont in La Traviata, Papageno in The Magic Flute at English National Opera, directed by Nicholas Hytner and the title roles of Nabucco, Falstaff and Macbeth.
Television credits include The Governor II and The Bill.
He has appeared as Old Deuteronomy in Cats (New London Theatre), Father Eberle in Laura (Watermill Theatre, Newbury), in workshop productions of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory (Royal National Theatre Studio) The Three Musketeers, and as Albert Blossom in Doctor Dolittle (London Apollo) and National Tour.
The composer Jonathan Dove, wrote the roles of 'King Hildebrand' and 'The North Wind' in 'The Enchanted Pig' for him, for performances at The Young Vic and National Tour.
Charles Crowell in 'Park Avenue' for Lost Musicals at the Lillian Baylis Studio, Sadler's Wells.
Title role in 'Falstaff' for Stanley Hall Opera, directed by Michael McCaffrey.
'Giacomo' in Fra Diavolo for Stanley Hall Opera directed by Michael McCaffrey
John Heppenstall in 'The Northerners' by Harold Brighouse for the Finborough Theatre.
Also performances in Victorian Music Hall for 'The Good Old Days' at Leeds City Varieties, Wimbledon Theatre, Wimbledon. The Queens Theatre, Hornchurch and the Northfields Theatre, Teddington.
Pantomime in Truro - King Colin of Camborn in 'Sleeping Beauty' for the Hiss and Boo Company 2010/11. Then in 2011/12, various roles, including 'King Neptune' and 'The Island Governor' in 'Robinson Crusoe and the Cornish Pirates' again in Truro.
Sir Thomas Bertram in Jonathan Dove's new Chamber Opera 'Mansfield Park' premiered at Boughton House and subsequent tour of Northern England and the Arcola Theatre in Dalston, directed by Michael McCaffrey.
The role of 'Nigel' in the movie of 'Quartet', written by Ronald Harwood and directed by Dustin Hoffman, September/October/November 2011.
'The Astrologer' in 'Aladdin' by S.J. Perelman and Cole Porter for Lost Musicals at the Lillian Baylis Studio, Sadler's Wells.
