A PRODUCTION of Puccini’s La Boheme performed in the auspicious surroundings of a Kilburn pub has beaten five international opera companies to the ultimate theatre prize.

The performance, now set in present day Kilburn and centred around aspiring novelist Rodolfo working on a laptop, scooped an Olivier award last week.

La Boheme opened at the 35-seat Cock Tavern pub theatre in north-west London at the end of 2009 and was put on by OperaUpClose. It ran for six months, and transferred to Soho Theatre in July 2010, where it sold out for six weeks – and returned to north London to the King’s Head in Islington for another season earlier this year.

o Adam Spreadbury-Maher (producer), Robin Norton-Hale (director) and Ben Cooper (producer) are pictured with their

award outside the King’s Head, where La Boheme was also staged. Picture by Rocco Redondo