Tag Archives: Alex Beetschen

Librettist: Glyn Maxwell Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Director: Valentina Ceschi Reviewer: James Garrington Opera Up Close may have moved on from their roots performing in tiny pub theatres, but that doesn’t mean that they’ve distanced themselves from their audience. They pride themselves on producing accessible new versions of classic opera, and The Magic Flute is certainly no exception. Forget any ideas you ...

Writer: Glyn Maxwell Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Orchestrator: Alex Beetschen Director: Valentina Ceschi Musical Director: David Keefe Designer: Emma Bailey Reviewer: Ron Simpson Posters and programme for OperaUpClose’s production rightly bill this as Mozart’s The Magic Flute in spite of the many reductions and changes. A performance that lasts only 1 hour 40 minutes of stage time and uses only ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Peter Stickney Musical Director: Alex Beetschen Choreography: Darren Royston Reviewer: Janet Jepson There’s something special and magical about watching a theatrical production in the open air, and there are few better places to do it than Harlow Carr Gardens near Harrogate. The setting is perfect: a level area for the stage surrounded by an assortment of ...

Book: Carter Brown Music: Richard Hartley Lyrics: Richard O’Brien Director: Benji Sperring Reviewer: Stephen Bates “I’m interested in her deeply on a superficial level” a lascivious cop confides to the audience on first sight of Dolores, the voluptuous stripper of the title. The line places us instantly in the world of film noir and it is a pity that there ...

Book and Lyrics: Joe DiPietro Music and Lyrics: David Bryan Director: Benji Sperring Reviewer: Stephen Bates   The Garden State has little need to import weed killer. Tromaville, New Jersey (pop 15,000) is, we are told, the toxic chemical capital of the world and this spoof rock musical looks set to put it right on the map. The show’s origin ...

Composer: Giuseppe Verdi Libretto: Robin Norton-Hale Orchestration: Harry Blake Director: Robin Norton-Hale Reviewer: Deborah Klayman Since their outstanding debut production of La Boheme in 2009, OperaUpClose have established themselves as a force to be reckoned. Far from the elitist image of the Grand Opera, founders Robin Norton-Hale, Adam Spreadbury-Maher and Ben Cooper managed to do the unthinkable – accessible fringe ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Music: Alex Beetschen Director: Andrew Normington Reviewer: Janet Jepson “Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?”, but one might well ask where Juliet is in this production of the Bard’s famous work, since it is a performance by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men – a traditional all-male troupe of Shakespearian actors. The fact that all the female rôles are ...

Writer: Giuseppe Verdi Director / Translator: Robin Norton-Hale Designer: Katie Bellman Reviewer: Maryam Philpott Verdi’s tragic opera La Traviata is the story of courtesan Violetta and deals with the sustainability of happiness. While at a party given by her lover and protector The Baron, she meets Alfredo an independent young gentleman from a respected family who declares his love for ...