AYR'S Soprano, Aimee Toshney, had The Gaiety Theatre audience at the edge of their seats as she took on the leading role of Café singer Musetta in Puccini's La Bohème.

Aimee, who went to St John's Primary School and Queen Margaret Academy, portrayed her feisty and disagreeable character, who lives in Paris, in a remarkable manner which allowed the audience to sympathise with her despite the fact she is never content with her fortune or her lover.

She is always looking for someone better who is richer and will allow her to lead a life of luxury. But she is never completely satisfied and on several occasions returns to Marcello, a poor painter, who is trying to work in the extreme cold of a studio he shares with Rodolfo, a writer.

Musetta and Marcello's story is not the main focus of the opera which depicts the tale of Rodolfo and Mimi who fall in love. Their anecdote is sung in English and accompanied by a piano and string quartet. 

Rodolfo and Mimi share their problems with their friends, Colline, a philosopher and Schaunard, a musician as well as Musetta and Marcello.

When Mimi becomes seriously unwell they must pull together to help her through but in opera nothing is simple and Puccini's heartbreaking story of love and loss in 19th century Paris becomes increasingly evident. 

There was deadly silence throughout the theatre at the tragic ending which saw the death of Mimi surrounded by her friends and Rodolfo.

Her illness has taken over. 

This traditional production, on Wednesday, May 10, flowed seamlessly and was full of sincerity and atmosphere. It was highly evocative with excellent costumes and stage production.

Aimee studied opera at the Royal Northern College of Music. She now lives in Glasgow, and works all over the UK and in Europe. She has appeared with Heritage Opera in Ayr before, as Zerlina in Don Giovanni in 2016.

The Manchester-based company has been touring chamber versions of well-loved operas for 10 years, clocking up over 3,000 performances in that time. 

The cast of eight are all fantastic experienced professionals, who have appeared with many leading opera companies in the UK and beyond, including soprano Sarah Helsby Hughes as Mimi, and Royal Opera House tenor Nicholas Sales as Rodolfo.