The WNO’s production of Death in Venice by Benjamin Britten is a symphony in black and white with minimal staging, effective choreography, and powerful singing. It’s a beautiful and haunting painting that conveys the internal anguish of the protagonist at the core of Britten’s extraordinary music. Death in Venice is based on the novella by … Continue reading Britten’s Death in Venice – A Review by Eva Marloes
From Bristol to Newport, I got around this week for reviews and other endeavours. I’ve a soft spot for Engelbert Humperdinck’s take on the Brothers Grimm story of Hansel and Gretel and Mid Wales Opera seemed up for the challenge. With their last night in Newport, things felt pretty tight for this showing, though a brief hiccup … Continue reading Review Hansel & Gretel, Mid Wales Opera, Riverfront Theatre, Newport by James Ellis
Having seen the various production of Janacek’s operas by Welsh National Opera (WNO) over many years, it is particularly thrilling to have the opportunity to see one unfamiliar to me – The Makropulos Affair. On reading background about the plot and theme of the opera, it sounds remarkable, so it’s somewhat surprising that it doesn’t … Continue reading Review The Makropulos Affair, Leos Janacek-Welsh National Opera WMC 16 09 22 by Gwyneth Stroud
Celebrated Virgins is Theatr Clwyd’s brand new play written by Katie Elin-Salt and directed by Eleri B. Jones. The show is based on the true story of Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby who were forced to flee Ireland and took up residence in Llangollen. They were true LGBTQ+ icons of their time and … Continue reading 5 Minutes with Katie Elin-Salt, writer of ‘Celebrated Virgins’, Theatr Clwyd
The performance was preceded by an announcement Northern Broadsides had needed to bring in two actors at extremely short notice because of Covid. This is a difficulty companies are going to face for some time to come. However, I didn’t feel it was just the pandemic which weakened this production. Its main problems were a … Continue reading Review As You Like It, Northern Broadsides, Theatr Clwyd by Simon Kinsdale.
With the pandemic having made the future uncertain, we’ve been compelled to look back at the past, to the glory days of our youth when everything seemed possible. That’s always been the magic behind Bill Kenwright’s smash-hit jukebox franchise, Dreamboats & Petticoats, based on the multimillion selling compilation albums. The latest installment, Bringing On Back … Continue reading REVIEW Dreamboats & Petticoats: Bringing On Back The Good Times! New Theatre by Barbara Hughes-Moore
Arditti Quartet Mark Knoop London Philharmonic Orchestra Arditti Quartet Programme: Christian Mason: This present moment used to be the unimaginable future (UK premiere)Clara Maïda: … das spinnt for amplified string quartetBetsy Jolas: String Quartet No.8 (Topeng) (UK premiere)Tansy Davies: Nightingales: Ultra-Deep Field (UK premiere) After the giddy thrill of seeing Meredith Monk live for the … Continue reading Review SoundState & London Philharmonic Orchestra Southbank Centre by James Ellis
Following the successful 2019 co-commission and co-production of Denis & Katya by Philip Venables and Ted Huffman, the two companies are sharing new digital pieces created by Black, Asian and global majority artists. Commissioned in parallel, Music Theatre Wales and Opera Philadelphia’s digital programmes propel our genre forward, identifying outstanding artists and presenting innovative new … Continue reading Music Theatre Wales and Opera Philadelphia to share bold digital work that redefines opera for our times.
“Do I literally have to bleed in front of you to get you to listen?” This is the question that haunts Lisa Parry’s visceral new play. Co-produced by the Sherman Theatre and Theatre Uncut, The Merthyr Stigmatist is a lean, lacerating two-hander that tells the story of sixteen-year-old Carys (Bethan McLean, in her professional debut) … Continue reading Review The Merthyr Stigmatist, Sherman Theatre and Theatre Uncut by Barbara Hughes-Moore
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ Sir Anthony Hopkins was the latest of many Oscar winners with a Welsh connection, one in particular is often overlooked. The greatest film ever made is considered to be Citizen Kane, but it lost out on Best Picture in 1941 to a story about a family of Welsh coal miners. How Green … Continue reading Review How Green Was My Valley By Kevin Johnson
