The Man from Go Compare
Wynne Evans (staying at home)
WED 10 JUNE 2020
Wynne Evans is regularly singing to millions for the TV advertising campaign that has made him a household name as the spoof opera star Gio Compario.
One morning in 2009, Wynne was rehearsing with David Alden at Grange Park Opera (Cunning Little Vixen) and he asked if he could be late as he was going to an audition. Go Compare had intended to book an actor and superimpose Wynne’s voice, but Wynne convinced them that he could do both. The rest is history.
Born in Carmarthen, Wales, where his mother restored the theatre, Wynne studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and National Opera Studio. As an opera singer he has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera New York, Paris Opera, Covent Garden where engagements included Vakula The Tsarina’s Slippers, Mayor Anna Nicole and Scaramuccio Ariadne auf Naxos. As a principal tenor with Welsh National Opera, his roles included Duca Rigoletto, Rodolfo Bohème, Alfredo Traviata, and Tamino Magic Flute.
With Grange Park Opera roles include Schoolmaster Cunning Little Vixen, Truffaldino Love for Three Oranges and Italian tenor Capriccio.
Wynne’s debut album A Song in My Heart reached Number 1 in the classical charts. He was honoured by the National Eisteddfod with the title of Gorsedd of the Bards. A lifelong supporter of Tottenham Hotspur, Wynne performed at the team’s final game at White Hart Lane and reprised the song at the 2019 opening of the new stadium to 62,000 fans.
Wynne Evans is trustee of Grange Park Opera. During lockdown he has lost three stone.
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GIO COMPARIO ∙ WYNNE EVANS
PIANO ∙ WYNNE EVANS
Teresa Ruggeri’s Panzanella
Serves 4-6. Prep time 15 mins.
– 250g stale sourdough/wholemeal bread, ripped into 2-3cm pieces
– 60ml good red wine vinegar
– 60ml olive oil
– 1 clove of garlic, crushed
– 500g cherry or good quality ripe tomatoes
– Salt and freshly ground black pepper
– A bunch of fresh basil
– 1 celery heart, thinly sliced
– 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
– 50g stoned olives
– A pinch of dried oregano
– Lots of good olive oil
- Put the bread into a wide, shallow serving dish. Put the vinegar, oil and garlic into a bowl and mix together, then drizzle over the bread, mixing it in well with your hands
- Halve the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and add to the bread.
- Set aside a few leaves of basil for garnish and scatter the test over the bread, along with the celery, onion and olives. Sprinkle with a little pepper and oregano and drizzle with lots of good olive oil.
- Cover the dish and set to one side in a cool place until ready to eat.
